Church of the Incarnation to host American Red Cross blood drive
The local Knights of Columbus Council #6364 is hosting its annual community blood drive, this Friday, Aug. 3, from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. in The Kernan Center at the Church of the Incarnation in Mantua.
The summer months mark a particular low point for blood donations, as families are more likely to take long trips and vacations, lowering the amount of available donors, according to the American Red Cross. Due to lack of recent donations, the American Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage and is encouraging people to give blood, platelets or plasma by offering a $5 Amazon gift card to all who donate from July 30 to Aug. 30.
In a press release posted on the American Red Cross website, president of Red Cross Blood Services Chris Hrouda said, “Unlike many other lifesaving medical treatments, blood donations cannot be manufactured and stockpiled. Red blood cells have a shelf-life of only 42 days and platelets just five days — Each donation, each day makes a difference.”
The American Red Cross recently launched an initiative in June called the “Missing Types” campaign which runs throughout the summer, to encourage new donors, and those who have not given recently, to donate blood. As part of the campaign, the letters A, B, and O — letters used to identify blood types –disappeared from corporate logos, favorite brands, social media and frequently visited websites to illustrate the critical role every blood donor plays.
To schedule an appointment or for information on other area blood drives, visit the American Red Cross website at www.redcross.org or call 1 (800) 733–2767.
