Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hosts Community Blood Drives

MARINA DEL REY, CA — Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital is hosting a community blood drive in light of what it says is an “urgent need.”

Donations will take place at a Cedars-Sinai mobile blood unit at Marina Towers South on 4676 Admiralty Way in Marina del Rey on Thursday from 9 to 3, and Friday from 10 to 4. The parking entrance is on Admiralty Way, and all donors will receive parking validations.

The hospital said in a news release that new donors are needed because safer pandemic conditions are prompting regular donors to travel, and non-emergency surgical procedures postponed during the pandemic are being rescheduled, requiring a stable blood supply.

A single blood donation, which can take about 10 minutes to collect, can save the lives of up to two individuals suffering from a number of conditions, including traumatic injury, cancer, blood disorders, and heart conditions. Each year, Cedars-Sinai patients receive transfusions of more than 30,000 units of red blood cells, 7,000 units of platelets and 11,000 units of plasma, the hospital said.

The blood drive is open to anyone eligible to donate. Donors will be physically distanced, screened for COVID-19 before entering the drive, and required to wear masks.