WILMINGTON — Blood donations through the American Red Cross are down by more than 60,000 in the past two months, causing the organization to put out an emergency call for donations.
In Wilmington and the surrounding areas, there are several blood donations events taking place in the next few weeks.
The American Red Cross says summer months often lead to blood shortages due to fewer blood drives at offices, schools and other community gatherings. This year, nearly 700 fewer blood drives were scheduled during Independence Day week, according to a press release.
Tanya Tilley, senior account manager for the Red Cross in Wilmington, said the majority of blood drives in the Wilmington area do not take place at the blood donation center. Donors can find the next closest blood drive by visiting the Red Cross donation website, calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or using the Blood Donor App.
The Red Cross needs to collect around 14,000 blood donations every day to keep up with the demand for blood in the United States. Every two seconds, blood and platelets are needed for emergencies including burn victims, heart surgery, cancer treatment, sickle cell disease and more.
The Red Cross supplies roughly 40 percent of the blood needed for donations in the United States and relies on volunteers to provide that blood.
“In the Greater Wilmington Area, we collected 26,863 units of blood for the fiscal year ending June 30,” Tilley said.
Tilley also said a “good bit,” of blood collected in Wilmington is used locally and the Red Cross needs to collect 800 units of blood per day to meet the need for blood in this area.
The Red Cross is always looking for sponsors for blood drives and those interested in hosting a drive can contact Tilley by email.
Donors wanting to visit the blood donation center located at 1102 South 16th St. can make appointments for Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.
