Red Cross needs blood donations
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The American Red Cross is in need of blood donors.
The not-for-profit organization says summer is a difficult time to collect enough blood to meet the needs of hospital patients because donors are less available due to travel and other summer activities.
Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Therefore the Red Cross must collect 15,000 blood donations every day to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country.
The Red Cross says while they need donors of all blood types, there’s a great need for those with types AB, O negative, A negative, and B negative.
Here are the upcoming blood donation opportunities:
8/1/2015: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Hamilton Town Dentistry, 14139 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 200, Noblesville (Hamilton County)
8/4/2015: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., IU Health Methodist Hospital, 1701 Senate Boulevard, Indianapolis (Marion County)
8/8/2015: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., First Baptist Church, 207 E. Washington Street, Lebanon (Boone County)
8/10/2015: 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Bryant Wesleyan Church, 209 S. Hendricks Street, Bryant (Jay County)
8/15/2015: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., New Hope Christian Church, 5780 S. County Road 650 East, Whitestown (Boone County)
A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent 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 year of age and young may also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.
To make an appointment to donate blood or to get or more information download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org, or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).