CT Blood Center drive to support Ukrainian refugees

MIDDLETOWN — The Connecticut Blood Center of Middletown is partnering with the Global Blood Fund to support its efforts in Ukraine.

Through the end of the month, donors can register their interest, and CTBC will donate $1 to the fund's efforts to support Ukrainian refugees looking for a new home across the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, according to a news release.

“Blood drive sponsors have reached out to us to see how they can help because we're all grappling with what is happening in Ukraine,” Beau Tompkins, senior executive director of the Connecticut Blood Center, said in a prepared statement. “This is a meaningful way to help support Ukrainian refugees in need of sanctuary through the Global Blood Fund while helping maintain the local blood supply at the same time.”

GBF is a charity dedicated to reducing worldwide inequities in blood safety and sufficiency. They are partnering with blood centers around the country to support Ukrainian people fleeing war, the news release said.

CTBC is part of a family of nonprofit community blood centers that provide over 50,000 blood products annually to over a dozen Connecticut hospitals, including Middlesex Hospital and those belonging to Hartford HealthCare, one of the largest Connecticut health care systems, it said.

The donor center is located in the Middletown Plaza at 856 Washington St., in the Staples Plaza. Mobile blood drives can also be found online.

Donors can visit ctblood.org/ukraine to schedule an appointment or call 800-283-8385. Donors can complete an online registration to confirm they want CTBC to contribute on their behalf to the GBF.