Help The Community Build Blood Supply This Summer

RedCrossIndianaOhioLogo TopCommunities across America celebrate Independence Day each year with fireworks, barbecues and get-togethers. And while such activities are summer favorites, citizens can add another tradition to the mix by coming to donate blood through the American Red Cross with family and friends.

Your blood donation is a sign of independence in its purest sense,” said Sharyn Whitman, CEO for the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. “When you think of it, you’re giving of yourself so someone sick or injured may have the ability to be with people they love.

A blood donation around Independence Day can also help strengthen America’s blood supply. Blood donations typically slump during the summer when many donors are out of their day-to-day routines, and when student donors are on break. High school and college-age donors give up to 20 percent of the blood collected through the Red Cross.

Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood. Sick and injured adults and children need red cells, platelets or plasma for scheduled and emergency surgeries, for the treatment of diseases like cancer, and for care related to accidents and trauma. Someone injured in a serious accident may need up to 100 pints of life-sustaining blood. People under emergency care typically receive O negative blood since it can be transfused to anyone, regardless of their blood type.

Supplies of type O negative need to be available at a moment’s notice to help save lives,” said Whitman. “What greater sense of American spirit can you have than knowing that blood will be there if and when you need it?

Come to donate July 1 - July 15 for a chance to win one of five $3,000 American Express gift cards.

UPCOMING AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES IN YOUR AREA:

  • Monday, July 1, from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Curves, located at 1708 East U.S. Highway 20 in Michigan City. All who come to donate blood will receive an American Red Cross baseball hat, while supplies last.
  • Tuesday, July 2, from noon until 6 p.m. at St. John’s United Church of Christ in the Fellowship Hall, located at 101 St. John Road in Michigan City. All who come to donate blood will receive an American Red Cross baseball hat, while supplies last.
  • Saturday, July 6, from 8 a.m. until noon at Hanna United Methodist Church in the Hall, located at 101 W. Hoppe St. in Hanna. All who come to donate blood will receive an American Red Cross baseball hat, while supplies last.
  • Monday, July 8, from noon until 6 p.m. at the First Church of God in the gymnasium, located at 2020 E. Lincolnway in LaPorte.
  • Tuesday, July 9, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Purdue University North Central in Room 144, located at 1401 S. U.S. 421 in Westville.
  • Tuesday, July 9, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Thomas Rose Industrial Park – BOSS Air, located at 1761 Genesis Drive in LaPorte.
  • Monday, July 15, from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. at St. John Kanty in the Hall, located at 7012 North 600 East in Rolling Prairie.

 

How to Donate Blood
To schedule an appointment to donate please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org for more information. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in Indiana and Ohio), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate.

About the American Red Cross
The Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region serves northern and central Indiana and northwestern Ohio, and needs to collect about 500 units of blood a day to meet patient need in 60 hospitals. 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. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org