A month into a local appeal for blood donations, the local American Red Cross region in July still received about 400 units less than a year ago.
“It’s not off to the best start,” Annie Marckel, spokesman for the Western Lake Erie Blood Services region, said Friday. “We definitely need more people to come in to donate.”
Even though blood donations also were down by 850 units in June compared to a year ago, no surgeries have had to be canceled at the 24 hospitals in the Red Cross region in recent weeks because of a lack of blood.
“We don’t want it to get to that point,” Ms. Marckel said.
Baseball fans on Monday will have the chance to donate blood in exchange for a free ticket to a Mud Hens game any Monday through Wednesday in August. The blood drive will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at Fifth Third Field, and donors can meet players and mascots as well as enter to win autographed baseballs and other items.
Donors through Sept. 25 can enter to win a Harley-Davidson from Napoleon Harley-Davidson or a Chevrolet Cruze from Dave White Chevrolet in Sylvania.
Blood drive appointments can be scheduled by calling 1-800-733-2767 or at redcrossblood.org online. Those who register online for the Mud Hens drive should use the sponsor code MUDHENS.
All blood types are needed, but demand for O negative is critical, Ms. Marckel said. O negative is the so-called universal blood type because it can be transfused to everyone and is needed for emergency situations.
Each weekday, 300 people must give blood and platelets to meet hospital demand, the Red Cross said.
Other upcoming blood drives include:
Contact Julie M. McKinnon at: jmckinnon@theblade.com or 419-724-6087.