Be a hero by helping to boost the blood supply during the UW-Platteville Blood Drive

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (Oct. 5, 2019) – To help ensure hospitals have the blood products they need, the American Red Cross invites students, faculty and staff to be a hero and give blood at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Blood Drive Oct. 20-22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Williams Fieldhouse. Appointments are strongly encouraged to abide with social distancing guidelines.

In thanks, the Red Cross is offering a $1,000 Amazon.com Gift Card to five lucky winners who come to give in October. Terms and conditions apply; visit rcblood.org/unite.

Volunteer donors, those who have not given recently, or those who might have never donated before are encouraged to schedule an appointment to donate blood for hospital patients.

The need for blood is constant. On average, the Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 donations every day to meet the needs of patients in Wisconsin and across the country. Donors with all blood types are currently needed.

“It’s important that the Red Cross has a sufficient blood supply on hand to meet the needs of

patients every day and be prepared for emergencies of all types, including those that can require blood transfusions,” said Nicole Miller  for the Red Cross Wisconsin Blood Services Region. “When emergencies occur, it’s the blood products on the shelves that help save lives.”

Those with types O, A negative and B negative blood are encouraged to make a Power Red donation at this blood drive. Power Red donors give a concentrated dose of red blood cells during a single donation, allowing them to maximize their impact. Donated blood may be used to help accident victims, surgery patients, organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. There is no substitute for donated blood products.

Important COVID-19 information for donors 

The Red Cross is testing blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The test may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to this coronavirus, regardless of whether they developed symptoms. Red Cross antibody tests will be helpful to identify individuals who have COVID-19 antibodies and may qualify to be convalescent plasma donors. Convalescent plasma is a type of blood donation collected from COVID-19 survivors that have antibodies that may help patients who are actively fighting the virus. Donors can expect to receive the results of their antibody test within 7 to 10 days through the Red Cross Blood Donor App or the donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.  

The Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose illness, referred to as a diagnostic test. To protect the health and safety of Red Cross staff and donors, it is important that individuals who do not feel well or believe they may be ill with COVID-19 postpone donation. 

Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions – including temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings for donors and staff – have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.