The American Red Cross has issued an emergency call for blood donations and is teaming up with WPDE News Channel 15 to offer donors an opportunity to give blood. A blood drive will be held on Wednesday, July 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Coastal Grand Mall in Myrtle Beach, 2000 Coastal Grand Circle, and Magnolia Mall in Florence, 2701 David McLeod Blvd.
Presenting donors at the “I Bleed for Cookies” blood drives with WPDE News Channel 15 will receive a free box of Girl Scout cookies, while supplies last.
This blood drive comes when the Red Cross is issuing an emergency call for donors to give now to help address a significant blood shortage and ensure area patients receive the transfusions they need. During the Independence Day holiday, many regular donors postponed giving blood due to vacation plans, further depleting an already low blood supply.
Right now, blood products are being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in.
Every two seconds in the United States blood and platelets are 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 approximately 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code WPDE, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-722-2767), or download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App. Walk-ins are welcome.
As a national network, the Red Cross has a unique responsibility to help ensure blood is available for patients whenever and wherever it is needed. Donations through the Red Cross could help patients at local hospitals or help those who must travel outside the area for medical treatment. There is no substitute for blood and volunteer donors are the only source.
How to donate blood
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 (16 with parental consent in some states), 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.