CCTC will have two events this month

As summer winds down, the American Red Cross urges individuals to give blood and platelets to help end an emergency summer blood shortage that began last month.

The Red Cross is in critical need since many regular donors delay giving blood  to take final summer vacations and prepare for the start of school. To ensure lifesaving treatments remain available for patients in the coming weeks, donations are needed now, especially type O.

To thank donors in their time of urgent need, the Red Cross is giving them a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email until Aug. 30.

There will be two opportunities to donate in Lawrence County this month with two blood drives at the Collins Career and Technical Center.

One will be from noon-5 p.m. on Aug. 17 at Collins Career Technical Center, 11627 State Route 243 in Chesapeake and the second will be from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 at the CCTC Center at 120 Marion Pike in Ironton.

Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Those who donated blood earlier this summer may be eligible to give again. Blood can be safely given every 56 days, and Power Red donations can be given every 16 weeks.

More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.

The Red Cross provides about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply, and currently, Red Cross blood products are being distributed to hospitals as fast as donations come in.

They have to collect more than 13,000 donations every day for patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease may all require blood to help save their lives.