Tag: American Red Cross

Red Cross: Give blood ahead of hectic holidays

The American Red Cross is reminding people to give blood before the hectic holiday season.

Blood donations typically decline during the holidays because of travel, seasonal illnesses and the weather, according to a Red Cross spokesman.

It’s important for donors − especially type O blood donors and platelet donors − to give now to ensure hospitals have the blood they need through the end of the year, according to the Red Cross.

Schedule an appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming Red Cross blood drives in Wyandotte County include:

  • Bonner Springs, from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at the YMCA, 2251 S. 138th St., Bonner Springs.
  • Kansas City, Kansas, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 28 at Cabelas, 10300 Cabela Drive.
  • Kansas City, Kansas, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 28 at the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, South Branch, 3104 Strong Ave.

According to the Red Cross, all who come to give blood through Dec. 15 will receive a $10 Amazon.com gift card by email from Amazon. Those who come to give blood Dec. 16 to Jan. 2 will get a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.

Blood supply dangerously low, Red Cross says

There is a dangerously low blood supply in the nation, and the American Red Cross is encouraging residents to give blood.

Severe winter storms recently affected blood drives in the region and the nation, according to Red Cross officials. Many blood drives were canceled because of the weather.

Thousands of donors have come forward since the Red Cross issued its first blood crisis alert in January, but patient care remains at risk, Red Cross officials said.

More donors are needed to make appointments now for the weeks ahead to help make sure victims and patients continue to have access to lifesaving blood product transfusions without delay, the Red Cross spokesman stated.

To make an appointment, use the Red Cross Blood Donor APP, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Everyone who comes to a Red Cross blood drive to give blood or platelets from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28 will receive a $10 Amazon.com gift card by email, donated by Amazon.

In Wyandotte County, Cabelas will sponsor a Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 10300 Cabela Drive, Kansas City, Kansas.

To make an appointment for this blood drive, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

Red Cross offering T-shirts to blood donors

With a shortage in the nation’s and local area’s blood supply, the American Red Cross is offering incentives to those who give blood.

The Red Cross stated that the blood supply has dipped to dangerously low levels and could force hospitals to hold off on essential blood transfusions for patients.

The decline comes at a time when donations typically fall, the holiday season, when there is often lower donor turnout, according to a spokesman.

Potential donors are urged to schedule an appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

All who come to give through Jan. 2 will receive an exclusive Red Cross long-sleeved T-shirt, while supplies last.

Also, those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma in January will automatically be entered for a chance to win a getaway to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. As an extra thank-you from the Red Cross, those who come to donate in January will also be automatically entered to win a home theater package and a $500 e-gift card. Terms apply; visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl for more information.

To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), 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 must meet certain height and weight requirements.

The next Red Cross blood drive in Wyandotte County is scheduled in a week and will be from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29, at Cabelas, 10300 Cabela Drive, Kansas City, Kansas.

To find other dates and times for Red Cross blood drives in other nearby counties, visit www.redcrossblood.org.