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American Red Cross hosts seasonal blood drives

WVIK, Quad Cities NPR | By Lexi Woodcock

Published October 31, 2024 at 12:57 PM CDT

Phlebotomist Geniya Oransky chats with longtime platelet donor Annmarie Adreani of Boston at the Dedham (MA) donor center on November 14. Adreani has been giving blood since she was 17, but switched to platelets when she retired from teaching. She gives regularly in memory of too many family members lost to cancer.

The American Red Cross is in need of blood and platelet donations this holiday season following the devastating hurricanes down South. Blood drives will occur across Iowa and Illinois until November 17.

Regional Communications Manager Jayce Eustice said every two seconds, someone in the US is in need of blood or platelets.

“Approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the United States, and then on top of that, about 5,000 units of platelets are also needed daily in the United States," Eustice said.

District Heights, Maryland. Damian Newman donates blood at an American Red Cross blood drive in District Heights, Maryland.

Eustice said the Red Cross offers two types of donations: “Whole blood donation” and “Power Red Donations.” He said the whole blood donations last as little as 10 to 15 minutes.

Donors can pre-register to give blood using the Rapid Pass, available on the American Red Cross Blood Donor app or online. Eustice said the app allows individuals to fulfill all necessary documentation before arriving at the appointments.

“After they make that donation, they can also sign up to get notifications where you can see kind of when and where your blood is used," Eustice said. "So you can see that full transparency from the moment of when you donate to seeing that your blood is going to someone who is really in need.”

He said donors who give before November 17 will receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice, along with the chance to win one of two $7,000 gift cards.

The Red Cross will host a blood drive in Davenport on November 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cunnick-Collins Mortuary & Cremation Services.

In Henry County, the Red Cross will host two drives, one in Kewanee on November 6 from 1 to 5 at the First Christian Church and another in Hooppole on November 13 from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Community Center.

For more information on blood drives and donations, visit https://www.redcross.org/.

Montgomery, Alabama. Jabez Grasy, an engineering major at Alabama State University donates blood for the first time at the Magic City Classic Blood Drive. Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

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