Red Cross offers gift cards for donations

♦ Drives are scheduled in Floyd and nearby counties to address the critical shortage.

Donors at American Red Cross blood drives around Northwest Georgia this month will receive a $5 Amazon gift card.

Nearby, there’s a drive scheduled in Cartersville Tuesday; another in Cedartown on Aug. 5; and a third at State Mutual Stadium on Aug. 13. The offer is also good for platelets, which are collected at Red Cross donation centers.

Blood supplies are at a critical low and Cliff Numark, senior vice president of blood services, said they’re leveraging a $1 million donation from Amazon to pump up public interest.

“Each donation truly matters to those counting on blood to battle illness and injury,” Numark said in a Monday statement. “Today, we are asking the public to donate as soon as possible to ensure blood is available on hospital shelves for those in need.”

The Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of most blood types and less than two days’ worth of Type O. Numark said just three out of 100 people nationally give blood.

In Floyd County, blood drives are set for Tuesday, Aug. 13, from 2 to 7 p.m. at State Mutual Stadium, 755 Braves Blvd. and on Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1941 Shorter Ave.

There also are earlier opportunities in Bartow and Polk counties. Today, July 30, in Cartersville, there’s a drive from noon to 5:30 p.m. at the civic center, 435 W. Main St. next to the library. On Monday, Aug. 5., Cedartown’s First Baptist Church will be hosting a drive from 2 to 7 p.m. at 144 Essex St.

The Red Cross also has other events scheduled for August around the region. Visit redcrossblood.org for the complete list.

In general, donors must be at least 17, weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. People with chronic conditions such as diabetes may give as long as they’re being treated and feeling well that day.

A whole-blood donation takes about an hour, although it only takes about eight to 10 minutes to draw the blood. Whole-blood is the most common and most flexible blood donation the Red Cross gets. It’s typically given to trauma patients and people undergoing surgery. All blood types are needed.

Donors can save time by preregistering on the day of the blood drive at the Red Cross Rapidpass web page or via the Red Cross blood donor app.

Platelets – cells in the blood that form clots and stop bleeding – are a vital part of cancer treatments. They’re also used in organ transplants and other surgical procedures.

The collection process takes about three hours, but a single donation can yield several units. It takes about five whole-blood donations to make one unit of platelets. The closest donation center is in Marietta. Information is available on the platelet donation web page.