Red Cross Encourages Donors to Give with Meaning this Holiday Season

Help save lives through blood and platelet donation or by hosting a blood drive.

This holiday season, the American Red Cross urges individuals to give something that means something – a blood or platelet donation. This simple, potentially lifesaving act can give patients in need another holiday season with loved ones.

Holiday activities, severe weather and seasonal illnesses, like the flu, can pull people away from their regular blood donation schedules. This creates a greater need for blood donations this time of year, especially around the winter holidays.

The American Red Cross encourages individuals and organizations to give something that means something this winter by making a lifesaving blood donation or hosting a blood drive.

 

Blood drive hosts needed

This time of year, there are also fewer blood drives on the calendar. Many sponsoring groups postpone blood drives while people are busy with holiday activities, and severe weather may cause scheduled blood drives to be canceled. With fewer opportunities for donors to give, the Red Cross typically experiences a seasonal decline in blood donations.

Because more than 80 percent of blood donations are made at blood drives, organizations are needed to host blood drives this winter to help ensure a sufficient blood supply for patients in need.

In addition, there are fewer blood drives during the winter months when many hosting organizations postpone drives while people are traveling for the holidays. Severe winter weather may also cause scheduled blood drives to be canceled.

Despite the busy holiday season and threat of extreme freezing weather, the need for blood remains steady. Organizations can help by hosting a blood drive during the winter months, and eligible donors are encouraged to make an appointment to give blood.

Click HERE redcrossblood.org to learn more about hosting a blood drive.

 

How to donate blood

To make an appointment, download the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, or sign up online HERE redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors can use RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, from a computer or laptop. Visit HERE redcrossblood.org/RapidPass to get started.

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 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

 

Blood donors with all types, especially O negative, B negative and A negative, are urged to give. Platelet donors and those with type AB blood are also continually needed.

The American Red Cross Winston-Salem Blood Donation Center, located at 650 Coliseum Drive, is open daily for donations according to the following schedule: Monday, 1:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thursday, 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There are also several Blood Drives scheduled around Forsyth County:
Lewisville
12/11/2015: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Kaplan Early Learning Company, 1310 Lewisville-Clemmons Road

Winston Salem.
12/6/2015: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., Friedberg Moravian Church, 2178 Friedberg Church Road
12/11/2015: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m., Novant Health Forsyth Medical, 3333 Silas Creek Parkway
12/12/2015: 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Lowes Hardware Hanes Mall Blvd, 935 Hanes Mall Blvd.
12/16/2015: 9:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m., Parkland High School, 1600 Brewer Road

12/17/2015: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Wake Forest Baptist Health, 1920 West 1st St.
12/23/2015: 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Home & Garden Building, 421 W 27th St.
12/24/2015: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Home & Garden Building, 421 W 27th St.

Clemmons
12/17/2015: 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., Jerry Long YMCA, 1150 S. Peace Haven Road

Kernersville
12/16/2015: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., YMCA, 1113 West Mountain St.
12/20/2015: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., The North Carolina Leadership Academy, 4353 High Point Road

NC Baptist Hospital
12/17/2015: 6:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Wake Forest Baptist Health, Medical Center Blvd.
12/18/2015: 6:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Wake Forest Baptist Health, Medical Center Blvd.

Rural Hall
12/29/2015: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Rural Hall Fire Department, 177 Highway 65 East