Get Paid For Giving Blood In Laguna Niguel

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — In the hopes of alleviating what it says is the worst blood shortage in more than a decade, the American Red Cross announced that anyone who donates blood, platelet or plasma in February will receive a $10 Amazon gift card.

The Red Cross announced this promotion to try to attract blood donations amid a pandemic-driven blood shortage. The pandemic and its resulting blood drive cancellations and staffing limitations have contributed to a 10 percent decline in the number of people donating blood and a 62 percent drop in blood drives at schools and colleges, the Red Cross said.

To that end, the American Red Cross has teamed up with Laguna Niguel to host a blood drive on Feb. 23 at Crown Valley Park. The blood drive will be from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the park is at 29751 Crown Valley Parkway.

The Red Cross also noted in a recent release that recent extreme winter weather all over the country has also contributed to what it is calling a "crisis."

"Our inventory is at crisis levels," Raahima Shoaib Yazdani, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross' Los Angeles Region, told City News Service in a previous interview. "Right now, doctors are being forced to decide which patients receive blood transfusions and who must wait."

The Red Cross said blood and platelet donations are needed to prevent further delays in medical treatments, and urged all donors, particularly those with type O blood, to donate.

"If the nation's blood supply does not stabilize soon, life-saving blood may not be available for some patients when it is needed," the Red Cross said in a joint statement with America's Blood Centers and the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies.

Appointments to give blood are available on the Red Cross Blood Donor App by visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 800-733-2767. Anyone making an appointment for the Crown Valley Park drive can use the sponsor code CityLN.

Residents are also encouraged to download the American Red Cross App to help schedule appointments.

City News Service contributed to this report.