UPDATE 12:30 p.m. Wednesday: The American Red Cross attributed the cancellation of the Eagle Radio Blood Drive to a shortage of blood collection bags.
From the American Red Cross:
Blood collection organizations nationwide including the American Red Cross are currently facing a shortage of blood collection bags as a result of ongoing vendor supply chain challenges over the past several months.
While the Red Cross has been able to mitigate major supply issues for our hospitals, we may need to adjust our blood donation collections to ensure we appropriately balance the number of blood donations with the number of available blood collection bags. These mitigations allow the Red Cross to conserve kits while meeting patient needs.
Due to the supplier shortage in collection bags, the Red Cross may ask donors to try another type of donation such as Power Red or may need to limit donations in certain circumstances.
Blood has a short shelf-life and must be continuously replenished. Donors can help by scheduling their appointment to give ahead of time which will help ensure the limited supplies are in the right place at the right time.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we work tirelessly to implement additional mitigations to help us bridge this shortage. In the days and weeks ahead, the Red Cross will continue to closely monitor our supplies and adapt our collections as necessary to ensure we continue to deliver our lifesaving mission.
UPDATE 10:28 a.m. Wednesday: The American Red Cross has canceled today's blood drive. We are awaiting word as to why it happened.
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By SALINA POST
January is National Blood Donor Month, and Eagle Radio in Salina is teaming up with the American Red Cross to provide you with an opportunity to donate.
And if you do, you'll automatically be entered to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona in February! The winner and a guest will get to enjoy Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz., access to day-of in-stadium pre-game activities, tickets to the official Super Bowl Experience, round-trip airfare to Phoenix, three-night hotel accommodations (Feb. 10-13, 2023), plus a $500 gift card for expenses. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.
The start of the new year is one of the most challenging times to collect blood products as severe winter weather often causes widespread blood drive cancellations and donors may postpone giving due to illness. Donors of all blood types – particularly type O blood donors, the most needed blood group by hospitals – and platelet donors are needed daily to meet demand, according to the American Red Cross.
The Eagle Radio Blood Drive is scheduled for 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Eagle Radio, 1825 S. Ohio Street.
Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: eagleradio to schedule an appointment.
Additionally, you can streamline your donation experience and save up to 15 minutes by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history questions on the day of your appointment.