DAYTON, Ohio — The Community Blood Center has concerns about a low supply in type O blood looking ahead to the summer.
The Community Blood Center (CBC) said in a release that regional hospital usage has outpaced collections of type O blood from May 27 to June 4. CBC must register at least 300 donors per day to meet area hospital demand.
To donate blood, schedule a donation online at www.DonorTime.com or by calling (937)-461-3220, registrants will receive a “Step Up to the Plate” t-shirt.
CBC has fallen short of its goal for donors averaging 225 blood donors during the holiday period despite daily donor events and a boost from 211 donors at the June 2 blood drive in the Jackson Center.
There is high demand for blood nationwide, including shortages after recent mass shootings in Texas and Oklahoma.
“It’s the blood already on the shelves that saves lives after these terrible events,” CBC Vice President of Donor Services Tracy Morgan said in a news release. “We must be better prepared for any surge in need.”
Morgan said with summer underway the traditional challenges of vacation travel, outdoor activities and increased emergency room usage requires donations.
“We are asking donors to make an extra effort to give, and to encourage those who have never given to become a first-time donor,” Morgan wrote.
There are special events for donors at the Dayton CBC Donation Center and at mobile blood drives.
Donors who register during “Fueling Up Weekend” at the CBC Donation Center will receive a $10 Speedway gas card. The weekends are Friday and Saturday on June 10-11 and again on June 17- 18.
A special campaign is now underway to win full access to “Country Concert 22,” the region’s top live music event of the summer.
Everyone who registers to donate June 6 through June 18 at any CBC mobile blood drive or the Dayton CBC Donation Center will be automatically entered in a drawing to win four tickets, good for all three days of the July 7-9 “Country Concert 22” in Fort Loramie.
The FDA changes blood donor eligibility guidelines periodically and potential donors’ with questions can email them to canidonate@cbccts.org.
