Red Cross issues emergency blood shortage; offers $5 Amazon Gift Card for donors

Press release from the American Red Cross:

To help address the current emergency blood shortage, all who come to give blood or platelets with the American Red Cross July 29 through August 29 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card via email. Currently, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of most blood types available and less than a two-day supply of type O blood.

Individuals can schedule an appointment to give now by activating Amazon’s Alexa Red Cross Blood Skill by saying, “Alexa, find a blood drive,” or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

When an emergency arises, it is the blood already on the shelves that saves lives. Only through the generosity of blood donors can the Red Cross provide hospitals with lifesaving blood to meet the ongoing and often, unpredictable needs of patients. The need for blood is constant. In the United States every two seconds blood is needed to help accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.

With the help of a generous $1 million donation from Amazon, the Red Cross hopes to motivate donors to roll up a sleeve and alleviate the blood shortage across the country. Amazon’s partnership with the Red Cross is part of their commitment to “Right Now Needs” to help increase blood donations to ensure patient needs are met.

“We are grateful to Amazon for their support in addressing a ‘Right Now Need’ for blood donations,” said Cliff Numark, senior vice president, Red Cross Blood Services. “Each donation truly matters to those counting on blood products to battle illness and injury. Today, we are asking the public to donate as soon as possible to ensure blood is available on hospital shelves for those in need.”

Blood transfusion is one of the most common inpatient hospital procedures in the U.S., and these blood products can only come from volunteer donors. Yet, only 3 out of 100 people in the United States give blood.

The Red Cross urges individuals across the country to roll up a sleeve today to ensure blood is available for patients across the country. A blood donation takes about an hour from start to finish, but the actual donation itself only takes about 8-10 minutes.

Donors can also save up to 15 minutes at the blood drive by completing a RapidPass®. With RapidPass®, donors complete the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of donation, from a mobile device or computer. To complete a RapidPass®, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

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.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities July 30-Aug. 15

Avery

Newland

8/8/2019: 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., State Employees’ Credit Union, 231 River Street

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Buncombe

Arden

8/5/2019: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Arby’s Arden, 375 Long Shoals Rd

Asheville

7/30/2019: 9:45 a.m. – 5 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

7/31/2019: 7 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Public Works Building, 161 South Charlotte Street

7/31/2019: 11:45 a.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/1/2019: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Buncombe County Health and Human Services, 40 Coxe Ave

8/2/2019: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/3/2019: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/4/2019: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/4/2019: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., Calvary Baptist Church, 531 Haywood Road

8/5/2019: 12:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/6/2019: 7 a.m. – 11 a.m., Charles George V.A. Medical Center, 1100 Tunnel Road

8/6/2019: 9:45 a.m. – 5 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/6/2019: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Charles George V.A. Medical Center, 1100 Tunnel Road

8/7/2019: 11:45 a.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/8/2019: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Comfort Suites Outlet Center, 890 Brevard Rd

8/9/2019: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/10/2019: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/11/2019: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/11/2019: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Bethel Seventh Day Adventist Church, 238 S. French Broad Ave.

8/12/2019: 12:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/12/2019: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Living Savior Lutheran Church, 301 Overlook Road

8/13/2019: 9:45 a.m. – 5 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/14/2019: 11:45 a.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road

8/15/2019: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Change Healthcare, 300 Ridgefield Court  Suite 308

Black Mountain

8/12/2019: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Black Mountain YMCA, 25 Jane Jacobs Rd.

Candler

8/1/2019: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Francis Asbury UMC Gym, 725 Asbury Road

8/3/2019: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Enka Fire Dept, 85 Pisgah Highway

Skyland

7/30/2019: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Skyland Fire Department, 9 Miller Road

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Clay

Hayesville

7/31/2019: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Clay Co. Community Services Bldg, 25 Riverside Circle

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Haywood

Canton

8/6/2019: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., High Street Baptist Church, 73 High St.

8/8/2019: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Town of Canton Armory, 71 Penland St

Clyde

8/7/2019: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Haywood Regional Medical Center Health & Fitness Center-Classrooms, 75 Leroy George Road

Waynesville

8/5/2019: 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Masonic Lodge Waynesville, 435 East Marshall Street

8/15/2019: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., American Legion Post #47, 171 Legion Drive

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Henderson

Hendersonville

8/2/2019: 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church, 2606 Chimney Rock Road

8/6/2019: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 204 6th Avenue West

8/7/2019: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Chick-fil-A 1302, 52 Highlands Square Dr.

8/8/2019: 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., First Citizens Bank – Hendersonville, 539 N Main Street

8/14/2019: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Henderson County Offices, 211 1st Avenue East

8/14/2019: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Living Water Baptist Church, 1284 Surgarloaf Road

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Jackson

Cashiers

8/7/2019: 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Cashiers Community, 355 Frank Allen Rd.

Cullowhee

7/30/2019: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Western Carolina University Hinds Univ Center, Highway 107

Sylva

8/2/2019: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Jackson County Department on Aging, 100 County Services Park

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Macon

Franklin

8/9/2019: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Bi-Lo Franklin, 245 Macon Plaza Drive

8/15/2019: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., First Baptist Church Franklin, 69 Iotla Street

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McDowell

Marion

8/2/2019: 3:30 p.m. – 8 p.m., Marion Moose Lodge, 999 Bill Cook Drive

8/13/2019: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., McDowell County Department of Social Services, 145 E. Court Street

8/13/2019: 1:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., YMCA Marion, 1388 Sugar Hill Rd

Nebo

8/12/2019: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Nebo United Methodist Church, 117 Nebo School Rd.

Old Fort

8/13/2019: 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 203 East Main Street

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Polk

Columbus

8/15/2019: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., American Red Cross Polk County Office, 231 Ward Street

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Rutherford

Forest City

8/1/2019: 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Lowe’s 1788, 184 Lowes Blvd.

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Swain

Bryson City

7/31/2019: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Marianna Black Library, 33 Fryemont St.

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Transylvania

Brevard

8/14/2019: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., First Citizens Bank & Trust, 96 South Broad St.

8/14/2019: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Oskar Blues Brewery, 342 Mountain Industrial Dr.

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Yancey

Burnsville

7/30/2019: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Yancey Senior Center, 603 Medical Campus Dr.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% 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 cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.