Community Corner

Red Cross: Urgent Need for Blood Donors

Red Cross calls for blood and platelet donations after severe winter weather impacts collections.

A weather-related shortfall in donations is prompting the American Red Cross to ask all eligible blood and platelet donors to help.

About 280 blood drives across 25 states were canceled across the country due to snow and extreme cold, according to the Red Cross.

The cancellations resulted in a shortfall of nearly 8,400 blood and platelet donations since Jan. 2.  

The Red Cross is seeking help from donors with the most in-demand blood types: O positive and negative and B positive and negative. 

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How to donate blood

Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Those 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.

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