Find a Blood Drive
Find a Blood Drive
BELLE, Mo. (May 3, 2018) — The community is invited to join Ozark Central Ambulance at a special American Red Cross blood drive Monday, May 21, from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Belle-Bland Community Center, 200 Hwy. 28, in Belle.
Honor your hero, be a hero and donate blood during Emergency Medical Services (EMS) week. The blood drive is a way for donors to help save lives while honoring local first responders. May is Trauma Awareness month and the Red Cross urges eligible donors to give blood to help ensure a sufficient supply of blood is available for patient emergencies. Each year traumas account for 41 million emergency department visits. A person involved in a car accident may need as many as 100 units of blood. Your donation can help save lives.
“We hope the community comes out and supports our first responders,” said Joe Zydlo, external communications manager, Red Cross Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region.,. “Ozark Central Ambulance and all of our first responders help save lives every day and this is a chance for us to honor them and help ensure that blood is available for patients who need it most.”
All who come to donate will enjoy barbeque pork or beef sandwiches and all the fixins, while supplies last. In addition, those who come to donate from May 14 to June 10, 2018, will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, courtesy of Suburban Propane. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. Additional information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)
How to donate blood
Simply download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RredCcrossBblood.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 and platelet donors can 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, from a computer or mobile device. 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 RredCcross.org or CcruzRrojaAamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.