The American Red Cross has issued an emergency call for blood and platelets, urging all eligible donors to give now to replenish what officials say is an extremely low summer blood supply.
Blood donations have fallen short of hospital needs for the past few months, they said, resulting in about 39,000 fewer donations than what’s needed -- as well as a significant draw down of the overall Red Cross blood supply.
In addition, the Red Cross said, the Independence Day holiday may have caused many regular donors to postpone donations due to vacation plans. A recent Red Cross poll revealed that more than 75 percent of donors surveyed indicated vacation plans this summer, many of them occurring the weeks before and after July 4.
“Right now, blood products are being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in, which is why we are making this emergency request for donations,” said Tammy Kikuchi Nakamura, external communications manager of the Lewis and Clark blood services region. “Donations are urgently needed now to meet the needs of hospital patients in the coming days and weeks. If you’ve thought about giving blood and helping to save lives, now is the time to do it. It’s the blood donations on the shelves that help save lives when an emergency occurs.”
To schedule an appointment to donate, you can use the free Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). The Red Cross is extending hours at many donation sites to allow for more donors to make an appointment to give. Donation appointments and completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire are encouraged to avoid longer wait times. Donors with all blood types are needed.
Here’s a list of upcoming blood donation opportunities throughout southwest and south-central Idaho.
ADA COUNTY
Boise
7/5/2016: 12 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/5/2016: 12:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Boise Towne Square Mall, 350 N Milwaukee
7/6/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/7/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/8/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/11/2016: 12 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/12/2016: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Knitting Factory, 416 S. 9th St.
7/12/2016: 12 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/13/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/14/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/14/2016: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Idaho Housing & Finance Association, 565 W Myrtle
7/15/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/15/2016: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., CW Moore Plaza Building, 250 S 5th Street
7/16/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Krav Maga Experts, 6045 W. Franklin Road
7/18/2016: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., First Baptist Church, 607 N 13th Street
7/18/2016: 12 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/19/2016: 12 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/20/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/21/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/22/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/22/2016: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Paul Mitchell the School Boise, 1270 S. Vinnell Way
7/23/2016: 9 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
7/25/2016: 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., BMC West, 11670 W. Franklin Road
7/25/2016: 12 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., Boise Blood Donation Center, 5380 Franklin Road
Eagle
7/23/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Eagle Public Library, 100 N Stierman Way
Kuna
7/19/2016: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Avalon Building, 224 E Avalon
Meridian
7/5/2016: 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Holy Apostles Catholic Church, 6300 N Meridian Road
7/6/2016: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., City of Meridian, 33 East Broadway
7/7/2016: 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., St. Lukes Meridian, 520 S Eagle Road
7/11/2016: 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Rosauers, 2986 N Eagle Road
7/25/2016: 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Meridian United Methodist Church, 235 E Pine
Star
7/18/2016: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Star Library, 10706 W State St
ADAMS COUNTY
Council
7/11/2016: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Council Senior Center, 201 Moser Avenue
CANYON COUNTY
Caldwell
7/9/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Vision Charter School, 19291 Ward Road
7/9/2016: 10 a.m. - 2:15 p.m., Treasure Valley Community College Caldwell Campus, 205 S. 6th Avenue
7/15/2016: 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Canyon County Courthouse, 1115 Albany Street
7/21/2016: 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Caldwell Police Department, 110 South 5th Avenue
Nampa
7/5/2016: 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Saint Alphonsus Medical Center Nampa, 1512 12th Avenue
7/6/2016: 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Real Life Community Church, 120 14th Avenue S.
7/7/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 8 S Midland Blvd
7/9/2016: 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Crossroads Community Church, 4170 E. Amity Road
7/11/2016: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., LDS Nampa North Stake, 6111 Birch Lane
7/12/2016: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Pacific Press, 1350 N. Kings Road
7/20/2016: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Methodist Church, 5420 Southside Boulevard
7/21/2016: 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Nampa First Church of the Nazarene, 601 16th Avenue South
7/22/2016: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Zion Lutheran School, 1012 12th Avenue Road
Parma
7/21/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., US Bank, 201 N 3rd Street
GOODING COUNTY
Gooding
7/8/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., War Memorial Building, 203 3rd Avenue W
Wendell
7/18/2016: 1 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 605 N. Idaho
JEROME COUNTY
Jerome
7/14/2016: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., St. Jerome's Catholic Church, 216 2nd Avenue E
PAYETTE COUNTY
Payette
7/22/2016: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., First Baptist Church, 15 N 10th Street
TWIN FALLS COUNTY
Buhl
7/15/2016: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Church of Immaculate Conception, 1629 Poplar Street
Twin Falls
7/6/2016: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., College of Southern Idaho Student Union Building, 315 Falls Avenue, Student Union Building
7/13/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., St. Luke's Magic Valley Regional Medical Center, 801 Poleline Road W
7/19/2016: 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2085 S. Temple Road
VALLEY COUNTY
Cascade
7/25/2016: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., American Legion Hall, Mill Street and Hwy 55
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Midvale
7/19/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., VFW Hall, 50 S. Depot Street
