Red Cross Blood Supply Drops to Emergency Levels

Blood donations through the American Red Cross are at the lowest they have been in 15 years. With summer storms forcing the cancellation of dozens of blood drives and extreme heat keeping many donors at home, there is an emergency need to boost the blood supply. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. As the nation’s largest supplier of blood and blood products, the Red Cross is dedicated to ensuring that every patient who needs a lifesaving transfusion is able to receive one. In fact, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 pints of blood each day to meet the needs of patients at more than 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. If at least two extra donors gave blood at every Red Cross drive through the rest of July, above what the drives expect to collect, there would be enough blood on the shelves to meet patient needs. Join us for the Centralia Community Blood Drive on Wednesday, July 25th from 11-6 at the Moose Family Center and on Sunday, July 29th from 8-1at St. Mary's School. All presenting donors will receive a World Champion St. Louis Cardinals t-shirt. All blood types are needed to ensure an adequate blood supply. Donors with type O negative, O positive, A negative or B negative are especially encouraged to give this summer. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements. To make an appointment to give blood or for more information, please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or go online to redcrossblood.org today.