Find a Blood Drive
Find a Blood Drive
MADISON, Wis. (Jan. 9, 2019) — Join the American Red Cross and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Red Cross Club in helping to save lives at the UW Bucky’s Blood Drive Tuesday, Feb. 12 and Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Gordon Dining and Event Center. All presenting donors will receive a Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last, and be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a Greg Gard autographed basketball.
Those who wish to register to be a bone marrow donor can do so at this blood drive with no cost through a simple cheek swab by DKMS. Participants can then be added to the national Be the Match Registry®, where doctors can search to find a matching donor for patients.
This blood drive comes at a time when the Red Cross typically sees a decline in the number of donations being made. Winter is a challenging period to ensure a stable blood supply. Inclement weather and cold and flu season can keep even the most dedicated blood donors away from giving a regular donation.
“The need for blood continues regardless of weather or season,” said Laura McGuire, communications manager for the Red Cross Badger Hawkeye Blood Services Region. “We often don’t see enough blood donors in the winter months. We are asking first time donors to give a gift from the heart by giving blood.”
The Red Cross invites students, staff, faculty and the residents of Madison to rally around a lifesaving cause. If you are on or off campus, there’s no better way to celebrate the giving nature of the community than by helping the Red Cross maintain a sufficient blood supply.
This blood drive will help the blood supply recover from a donation shortfall over the winter holidays that prompted the Red Cross to issue an emergency call for blood and platelet donors to give now. Donors of all blood types, especially platelet donors and type O blood donors, are needed to prevent a blood shortage from continuing throughout winter and affecting patient care.
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.
Every two seconds in the United States blood is needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. The Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,600 hospitals nationwide.
How to donate blood
Simply download the 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 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 RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.