With no known end date to the coronavirus fight, the American Red Cross is encouraging healthy individuals to make appointments to donate blood or platelets to ensure blood remains readily available for patients who still rely on transfusions.
The need for blood for trauma patients, children battling cancer, mothers experiencing childbirth complications, patients with sickle cell disease and others continues. Donated blood has a limited shelf life of 42 days for red cells and just five days for platelets, so the supply must constantly be replenished.
Healthy individuals who are feeling well are asked to make an appointment to donate this May by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App , visiting RedCrossBlood.org , calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.
The following are upcoming donation opportunities:
Brewster: 1 to 6 p.m. May 12, American Legion, 825 Third Ave.; Heron Lake: 1 to 7 p.m. May 13, Heron Lake Community Center, 312 10th St.; Jackson: 1 to 6 p.m. May 14 and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 15, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 614 Logan Ave. Lake Wilson: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 15, American Legion; Lakefield: 1 to 6 p.m. May 12, Immanuel Lutheran Activity Center, 620 Bush St.; Mountain Lake: 2 to 6 p.m. May 11, Community Center, 1027 Second Ave.; Slayton: noon to 6 p.m. May 14, Christ Lutheran Church, 2959 Queen Ave.; Westbrook: 1 to 7 p.m. May 4, Community Center, 510 Fifth St.; Windom: 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 4, Community Center, 1750 Cottonwood Lake Drive; Worthington: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 14, Worthington Area YMCA, 1501 Collegeway.
