Red Cross needs blood drive sponsors

FARMINGTON — Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. To help meet the constant demand for lifesaving blood donations and prevent blood shortages this winter, the American Red Cross is urging individuals and organizations to be winter heroes by hosting a blood drive.

Right now, the Red Cross needs about 6,500 additional groups across the country to host blood drives in December, January and February to ensure blood will be there for patients who rely on blood products. In this area, about 250 more blood drive hosts are needed. During the winter, there is often a decrease in the number of blood drives, which can contribute to blood shortages.

To learn more about hosting a blood drive and to sign up, visit RedCrossBlood.org/HostADrive. Blood drive partners who host a drive between Dec. 20 and Jan. 6 will receive long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirts for all who come to give, and if the partner achieves its donation goal, it will be recognized in a national newspaper highlighting its lifesaving work.

Because more than 80 percent of blood donations are made at blood drives hosted by volunteers, blood drive partners play a vital role in helping ensure a sufficient blood supply for patients in need. In addition to helping save lives, organizations that host blood drives can also build goodwill in their community, bringing people together around a central cause.

Organizing a blood drive is easier than many expect, and blood drive coordinator Joe Turner agrees. Since 2016, Turner has hosted an annual blood drive at his church in memory of his father, Woody, who battled cancer for many years and needed platelets during treatment.

For more information, visit RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.