Once again, an appeal from our good friends and community partners at the American Red Cross, with a reminder that there will be blood drives on Thursday, February 17th, 11 AM - 4 PM in Portland (Wishcamper Center) and Gorham (Brooks Student Center). -ATM
Major Winter Storms — February 3, 2011
Since January 1, winter storms have forced the cancellation of over 750 blood drives, resulting in a shortfall of more than 28,000 blood and platelet donations. We urge people who are eligible to schedule an appointment to give blood now or as soon as travel conditions permit.
o Yesterday alone, nearly 6,200 units of blood and platelets were unable to be collected due to blood drive cancellations from New England to the upper
o You can schedule your donation time by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or visiting www.redcrossblood.org.
o All blood types are needed, but there is a special need for donors with O-Negative, A-Negative and B-Negative blood.
o Whole blood has a shelf life of 42 days and platelets only five.
o Blood is routinely moved around the country to meet needs, but the storm-related losses mean there is still a large deficit.
o While individuals are stepping up to assist with this shortage, the Red Cross needs additional donors to give the gift of life.
o To be eligible, you must be 17 years of age or older (16 with parental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in generally good health. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements. Individuals should bring their Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when coming to donate.
Jennifer Goldman
Donor Recruitment Representative
American Red Cross
(207)775-2367 (t)
(207)699-6028 (c)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment