DAYTON, Ohio – June 14 World Blood Donor Day arrives this week with Community Blood Center in critically low supply of multiple blood types. CBC needs the help of both experienced donors and new donors to avert the current shortage and to build a crucial reserve for the upcoming July 4th holiday period.
The annual observance of World Blood Donor Day is to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for helping save lives.
CBC is welcoming walk-in donors at the Dayton CBC Donation Center, 349 S. Main St. Everyone who registers to donate at the Dayton CBC Tuesday through Thursday, June 13-15 will receive a Kroger $10 gift card. All first-time donors will receive a free Kings Island e-ticket.
CBC must register a minimum of 300 donors every day to provide area hospitals with sufficient units of all blood types, plus specific needs for platelets and plasma. There is currently a critical shortage of type O negative and low supply of types O positive, A negative, and B negative.
“We haven’t been hitting the 300 mark for several days and it’s catching up with us,” said Donor Service Vice President Tracy Morgan. “We had strong collections Memorial Day weekend, but it’s not maintaining us now. We are registering fewer donors than we did a year ago, and last year it took critical messaging across our community to help us through the summer slump.”
Blood usage is rising with the summer heat and blood collection becomes increasingly more challenging as the July 4th holiday approaches.
Everyone who registers to donate Friday and Saturday, June 16-17 at the Dayton CBC can “Spin the Wheel” to win a prize valued from $10 to $50. On Friday at the Dayton CBC donors can also enjoy the free Ritter’s Frozen Custard sundae bar.
All registered donors at any CBC blood drive or the Dayton CBC receive the “Sunshine & Saving Lives” beach towel and are automatically entered in the June 12-17 drawing to win two tickets to the 42nd annual Country Concert ’23 July 6-8 in Fort Loramie.
Donors at community blood drives are encouraged to make an appointment at www.DonorTime.com call (937) 461-3220 or use the Donor Time app.
You can save time while helping save lives by using “DonorXPress” to complete the donor questionnaire before arriving at a blood drive. Find DonorXPress on the Donor Time App or at www.givingblood.org/donorxpress.
Blood donation requirements: Donors are required to provide a photo ID that includes their full name. Past CBC donors are also asked to bring their CBC donor ID card. Donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 years old with parental consent: form available at www.givingblood.org or at the Dayton CBC and mobile blood drive locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds (you may have to weigh more depending on your height), and be in good physical health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changes blood donor eligibility guidelines periodically. Individuals with eligibility questions can email canidonate@cbccts.org or call (937) 461-3220. Make an appointment at www.DonorTime.com.
Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services® is an independent, not-for-profit organization. Community Blood Center provides blood products to partner hospitals and health centers within its 18-county service area of western Ohio and eastern Indiana and to select hospitals and blood centers outside the region. For more information visit www.givingblood.org.