March was again a very successful blood drive. We collected 84 units of blood. Our next blood drive will be May 21 and will have fewer appointments available due to many of our fellow residents leaving for the summer. Time and place remain the same: MountainView Ballroom from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. If you haven’t signed up yet, be sure to do it soon before the appointments are all gone.
At the time of this writing, the Red Cross has dropped the mask requirement for those who are fully vaccinated. If you are not vaccinated or want to wear a mask, please do so. Of course, the drive is also open to the surrounding communities.
As a blood donor, you do something extraordinary with each donation. You give families hope. You give patients courage. And you give those who need it most, life. Donors like you make all the difference. One donation of whole blood can help two to three people. That is why your donation for this drive is more important than ever. The need for blood is constant, and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every two to three seconds, and most of us will need blood in our lifetime.
To schedule your appointment, go to www.redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767. You can start the donation process before leaving home by completing an online predonation and health history questionnaire from your mobile device or Blood Donor app on the day of your appointment. You can save up to 15 minutes. Learn more at www.redcrossblood.org/rapidpass. We hope to see you all there.