To mark March as National Red Cross Month, Indiana lawmakers are joining the American Red Cross and inviting the community to give blood at the Indiana Statehouse on Wednesday, March 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a goal of collecting 86 blood donations.
This event is a friendly competition among the House, Senate, LSA, Judicial and Executive branches of the Indiana state government. The community is encouraged to join their state representatives in the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross by giving blood.
Since 1943, every U.S. president has designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the Red Cross helps people across the country and around the world. Red Cross Month is a celebration of supporters, who are the face of the Red Cross in their communities and bring hope to people facing emergencies. All lines of Red Cross service will be represented at the event.
Blood donations made through the Red Cross help Indiana residents who need transfusions, like 17-year old Gradyn Rogers in Kokomo who is battling cancer, or like seventh grader Brady Prosser in Angola recovering from sever burns. There are many reasons why someone may need a blood transfusions on any given day.
The Red Cross depends on blood donor heroes across the nation to collect enough blood to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals nationwide. In Indiana alone, the Red Cross needs about 550 donors each day to support patients at 80 hospitals across the state. Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are needed to help those rely on blood products.
Indiana Statehouse Blood Drive
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Indiana State Capitol Building
200 West Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204
How to help
Simply download the
American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit
redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. 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 in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), 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.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit
redcross.org or
cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at
@RedCross.
###
