Red Cross Needs Blood, Platelet Donations for Challenging Summer Months

Submitted by the American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross urges blood and platelet donors to choose their day to give and to help ensure blood is available for patients all summer long.

“Many Americans will be celebrating the unofficial start to summer this Memorial Day weekend, but seasonal activities that bring joy to so many can also lead to a shortage of blood and platelet donations when regular donors become busy,” said Donna M. Morrissey, director of national partnerships for the Red Cross Biomedical Services. “Patients don’t get a summer holiday from needing lifesaving blood and platelet donations and are counting on generous volunteers to help maintain a sufficient supply this summer.”

To encourage donations around the Memorial Day holiday, those who come to give blood or platelets from May 27-31 will receive a Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last. The Red Cross relies on volunteer donors for the 14,000 blood donations needed every day to support patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide. However, during the summer months of June, July and August, about two fewer donors schedule an appointment to give blood at each Red Cross blood drive than what patients need. 

As official national sponsor of the summer campaign, which begins Memorial Day weekend and runs through Labor Day weekend, Suburban Propane will help promote the need for blood and platelet donations and will encourage its employees and customers to give. 

Suburban Propane employees will also volunteer at Red Cross blood drives nationwide in one of the largest national volunteer commitments to the Red Cross Blood Services from a corporate partner. Additionally, this year Suburban Propane is expanding its partnership with the Red Cross to include participation in the Home Fire Campaign in some markets, as well as support for disaster relief efforts and Service to the Armed Forces. 

The Red Cross has touched the lives of many Suburban Propane employees including Debbie Traub. In May 2014, her 74-year-old father fell from a ladder while power washing his home and suffered life-threatening injuries. He spent 20 days in the intensive care unit and received many blood transfusions. Traub said that she now knows the importance of giving blood and makes a point to donate in honor of her father at the Suburban Propane headquarter blood drives. Her story is just one of many reasons Suburban Propane continues to advocate for blood and platelet donations to the Red Cross. 

“The Red Cross has partnered with Suburban Propane since 2012, and last year’s ‘100 Days of Summer. 100 Days of Hope.’ campaign marked our first nationwide, summerlong partnership,” said Morrissey. “The Red Cross depends on corporate partners like Suburban Propane to help ensure blood and platelets are available for patients in need of lifesaving transfusions and to help our communities prepare for and respond to disasters large and small.”

How to donate blood:

For more information and to make an appointment to donate, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). 

Donors of all blood types are needed. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), 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 have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Cook

Chicago

5/23/2016: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Rush University Medical Center, 1650 West Harrison Street

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Lake

Round Lake

5/24/2016: 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Round Lake Area Public Library, 906 Hart Rd

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Cook

Chicago

5/25/2016: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m., Apostolic Faith Church, 3823 S. Indiana Avenue

5/26/2016: 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., DePaul University Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield

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Kankakee

Bourbonnais

5/26/2016: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Kankakee Blood Donation Center, 20 Heritage Drive

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Cook

Chicago

5/27/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Bartlett Commons, 5640 South University

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DuPage

Aurora

5/28/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Eola Community Center, 555 S. Eola Road

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Cook

River Forest

5/29/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., River Forest  West Suburban Temple Har Zion, 1040 North Harlem

Chicago

6/1/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., University of Illinois at Chicago, 720 S. Halsted

Maywood

6/2/2016: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Loyola University Center for Fitness, 2160 S. First Ave, Loyola Center 

for Fitness

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Kankakee

Bourbonnais

6/2/2016: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Kankakee Blood Donation Center, 20 Heritage Drive

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Will

Wilmington

6/3/2016: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Wilmington High School, 209 Wildcat Court

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Cook

Chicago

6/5/2016: 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Holy Name Cathedral, 730 North Wabash

Hoffman Estates

6/6/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Hoffman Estates Toll Brothers, 3100 W Higgins Rd., Suite 100

Rosemont

6/9/2016: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., First Hospitality Group, 10275 W. Higgins Rd

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Kankakee

Bourbonnais

6/9/2016: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Kankakee Blood Donation Center, 20 Heritage Drive

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Cook

Chicago

6/10/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Marc Realty, 55 East Jackson, Office of the Building