Donors will receive $10 gift VISA gift cards courtesy of Suburban Propane and lunch cooler
The American Red Cross and WSYR News Channel 9 invite residents of Syracuse and surrounding communities to donate blood at the annual WSYR News Channel 9 Holiday Heroes Blood Drive :
Destiny USA, Legacy section next to Lenscrafters, July 1,2,3 from 9 a.m.- 8 p.m. and July 4 from 10 a,m, to 4 p.m.
To make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org, call 1-800- RED-CROSS or use the Blood Donor App.
Suburban Propane is the official national sponsor of the American Red Cross Blood Services summer campaign and is helping to increase awareness of the constant need for blood and platelet donations. Those who come to donate can get a $10 Visa gift card, courtesy of Suburban Propane. Presenting donors will also receive a Red Cross lunch cooler.
Blood and platelet donations often decline during the summer months when busy summer schedules and vacation plans can cause some donors to be less available to give. Additionally, blood donations at high school and college blood drives, which account for as much as 20 percent of blood donations during the school year, decline when many schools are out of session. But, the need for blood remains constant all summer long.
“The Red Cross needs blood donors now and throughout the summer to help patients who depend on lifesaving transfusions,” said Patty Corvaia, communications manager, Red Cross New York-Penn Blood Services Region. “The need for blood doesn’t get a summer holiday or vacation.”
During the summer months of June, July and August, on average, about two fewer donors schedule an appointment to give blood at each Red Cross blood drive than what patients need.
This can add up to nearly 100,000 fewer donations during the summer.
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.