Red Cross issues emergency call for blood, platelet donors after holidays

COLUMBIA, S.C. — After a donation shortfall over the winter holidays, American Red Cross has issued an emergency appeal for blood and platelet donors to give now to prevent a blood shortage from continuing throughout winter and affecting patient care.

The Red Cross collected more than 27,000 fewer blood and platelet donations the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s than needed to sustain a sufficient blood supply. During the same period, about 1,350 fewer blood drives were hosted by volunteer sponsor groups than necessary to meet patient needs.

“When donations decline – as they did around the holidays and may further decline if severe winter weather and flu season pick up – lifesaving medical treatments could be delayed,” says said Cliff Numark, senior vice president, Red Cross Biomedical Services. 

Right now, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of most blood types on hand, well below the ideal five-day supply needed to respond to emergencies and daily hospital needs. Blood products are currently being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in. 

With several weeks of winter ahead, severe winter weather poses an additional threat to an already low blood supply, according to officials.

All eligible donors, especially platelet donors and blood donors with type O blood, are urged to make an appointment to give in the coming days to help restock the shelves for hospital patients. 

Eligible donors can find a blood or platelet donation opportunity and schedule an appointment to donate by using the free Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). 

Upcoming Blood Donation Opportunities (January 14 - Feb. 1)

Allendale County

• 2/5: 2 - 7 p.m., Allendale Fire & Rescue & Allendale County Rescue Squad, 368 Courthouse Square

Fairfield County:

• 1/15: 2 - 7 p.m., Sion Presbyterian Church, 116 W. Washington Street, Winnsboro

Kershaw County: 

• 1/17: 2 - 7 p.m., Trinity Baptist Church, 1062 Ridgeway Road, Lugoff
• 1/30: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Camden Elementary School, 416 Laurens Street, Camden
• 2/11: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Kershaw Health, 1315 Roberts Street, Camden

Lexington County:

• 1/14: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Lexington United Methodist Church, 309 East Main St., Lexington
• 1/17: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Forts Pond Elementary School, 7350 Fish Hatchery Rd., Pelion
• 1/20: 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m., Broadacres Baptist Church, 2350 Taylor Rd., Cayce
• 1/21: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Lowe's - Red Bank, 5570 Platt Springs Rd., Lexington
• 1/23: 7 a.m. - 12 p.m., CMC Steel South Carolina, 310 New State Rd., Cayce
• 1/23: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, 119 North Church Street, Lexington
• 1/24: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Brookland Cayce Gym, 1300 State St., Cayce
• 1/28: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Cayce United Methodist Church, 1600 Twelfth Street, Cayce
• 1/29: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Lexington Medical Center Irmo, 7035 St. Andrews Rd., Columbia
• 1/30: 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Lexington County Sheriff's Department, 521 Gibson Rd., Lexington
• 1/30: 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m., Lexington County Sheriff's Department, 521 Gibson Rd., Lexington
• 1/31: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Airport High School, 1315 Boston Ave., West Columbia
• 1/31: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Lexington Medical Center, 2720 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia
• 2/4: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Fire Dept., Batesburg Leesville Fire Dept, 431 East Church St., Leesville
• 2/6: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Chapin Middle School, 11661 Broad Street, Chapin
• 2/7: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Palmetto Health Parkridge New Location, 400 Parkridge Drive, Columbia
• 2/7: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Lexington Technology Center, 2421 Augusta Highway, Lexington
• 2/8: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Gilbert High School, 840 Main St., Gilbert
• 2/11: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Holland Avenue Baptist Church, 801 12th St., Cayce
• 2/11: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., St. David Lutheran Church, 132 Saint David's Church Rd., West Columbia

Newberry County:

• 1/29: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., Mid Carolina High School, 377 Cy Shumpert Road, Prosperity

Orangeburg County: 

1/16: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Claflin University, 700 College Avenue, Orangeburg

Richland County: 

• 1/14: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia
• 1/15: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., Eau Claire High School, 4800 Monticello Road, Columbia
• 1/15: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., LRADAC, 2711 Colonial Drive, Columbia
• 1/15: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia
• 1/16: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., SCEIS, 1628 Browning Road, Suite 100, Columbia 
• 1/16: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia
• 1/17: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., SC Probation, Parole & Pardon Services, 2221 Devine Street, Columbia 
• 1/17: 9:45 a.m. - 5 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/18: 6:45 a.m. - 2 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/19: 6:45 a.m. - 2 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/20: 6:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/21/2019: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/22: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/22: 12 - 5 p.m., Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, 7 Richland Medical Park Drive, Columbia 
• 1/22: 1 - 6 p.m., Spring Valley Presbyterian Church, 125 Sparkleberry Lane, Columbia 
• 1/23: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m., Palmetto Health Baptist Medical Center, 1501 Sumter Street, Columbia 
• 1/23: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Columbia College, 1300 Columbia College Drive, Columbia 
• 1/23: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/24: 9:45 a.m. - 5 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/25: 6:45 a.m. - 2 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/25: 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Lower Richland High School, 2615 Lower Richland Blvd., Hopkins
• 1/26: 6:45 a.m. - 2 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/26: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Mt Olive Lutheran Church, 1541 Lake Murray Blvd., Irmo
• 1/27: 6:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/27: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Tree of Life Congregation, 6719 N. Trenholm Rd
• 1/28: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., SC Department of Transportation, 955 Park Street
• 1/28: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/28: 1 - 6 p.m., Jeep Rogers Family YMCA, 900 Lake Carolina Drive, Columbia 
• 1/29: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Department of Social Services, 1535 Confederate Avenue, Columbia 
• 1/29: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/30: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Student Lounge - USC School of Medicine, 6311 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia
• 1/30: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 1/31: 9:45 a.m. - 5 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/1: 6:45 a.m. - 2 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/2: 6:45 a.m. - 2 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/3: 6:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/3: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., St. Andrews Lutheran Church, 1416 Broad River Road, Columbia 
• 2/4: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/5: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/6: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/6: 12 - 6 p.m., Palmetto Health Richland Medical Center, 3301 Harden Street, Columbia 
• 2/7: 9:45 a.m. - 5 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/8: 6:45 a.m. - 2 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/9: 6:45 a.m. - 2 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/9: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Jack Oliver's Pool and Patio, 3303 Forest Drive, Columbia 
• 2/9: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Jack Oliver's Pool and Patio, 3303 Forest Drive, Columbia 
• 2/10: 6:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St
• 2/10: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Shandon Presbyterian Church, 607 Woodrow Street, Columbia 
• 2/11: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/12: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Ridge View High School, 4801 Hardscrabble Road, Columbia 
• 2/12: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/13: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Palmetto Health Greystone, 293 Greystone Blvd., Columbia 
• 2/13: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., University of South Carolina Russell House, 1400 Greene Street, Columbia 
• 2/13: 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/14: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Keenan High School, 361 Pisgah Church Road, Columbia 
• 2/14: 9:45 a.m. - 5 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/14: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Palmetto Health Home Care, 1400 Pickens Street, Columbia 
• 2/14: 12 - 5 p.m., Heathwood Hall, 3000 South Beltline Blvd., Columbia 
• 2/15: 6:45 a.m. - 2 p.m., Columbia Blood Donation Center, 2751 Bull St., Columbia 
• 2/15: 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Fairfield Electric Cooperative, Inc, 701 Blythewood Road, Blythewood

Sumter County:

• 1/15: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Shaw Air Force Base, 428 Shaw Drive, Building 806, Shaw AFB
• 1/24: 8:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m., Crestwood High School, 2000 Oswego Rd., Sumter
• 1/30: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Neighborhood Market- Sumter, 343 Pinewood Road, Sumter
• 1/31: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Grace Baptist Church, 219 West Calhoun St., Sumter
• 2/1: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Component Maintenance Squadron Shaw AFB, 558 Killian Ave., 20 CMS Squadron Building, Shaw AFB
• 2/2: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Lakewood Baptist Church, 3140 Nazarene Church Road, Sumter
• 2/4: 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., YMCA of Sumter, 510 Miller Road, Sumter
• 2/13: 8:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Lakewood High School, 350 Old Manning Road, Sumter
• 2/13: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Shaw Army Central, 1 Gabreski Drive, Shaw AFB