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Time to share, time to care: donate blood

American Red Cross seeks donors to help meet holiday need

You can honor a uniquely American holiday by giving something that’s uniquely you.

By donating blood this Thanksgiving, you’ll help ensure that blood is available for patients in need, and honor the spirit of giving that surrounds the start of the holiday season.

“When you donate blood this time of year, you can take pride in knowing someone is extremely thankful for your act of giving,” said Sharyn Whitman, CEO for the American Red Cross Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region. “Because of you, someone’s mother, father, child or friend may have a chance to spend another holiday with people they love.”

Every day, patients across the U.S. need more than 44,000 units of blood to treat emergency and ongoing medical conditions. Patients depend on blood for cancer treatments, scheduled surgeries, emergency or accident care, as well as ongoing needs related to serious diseases like sickle cell.

While all blood types are needed, the demand for type O blood is great since type O can be transfused to patients with other blood types like A, B and AB. While type O positive can be transfused to patients with any positive blood type, type O negative can be transfused to anyone with any blood type, making it the type most needed in emergencies when a patient’s blood type isn’t known.

“At the American Red Cross, we’re thankful for every person who helps give someone a second chance at life by donating blood,” said Whitman. “While blood is needed year-round, it holds special meaning during the holidays since you’re giving something back to the community that truly comes from within.”

UPCOMING AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES IN YOUR AREA:

· Saturday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Zanesville United Brethren Church in the Fellowship Hall, located at 3092 W. Broadway in Zanesville.

· Sunday, Nov. 3, from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in the gymnasium, located at 14623 Bluffton Road in Yoder.

· Sunday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran Church, located at 6813 W. California Road in Fort Wayne.

· Monday, Nov. 4, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Emanuel Lutheran Church in the Fellowship Hall, located at 800 Green St. in New Haven.

· Monday, Nov. 4, from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. at Towne House Retirement Community, located at 2209 St. Joe Center Road in Fort Wayne.

· Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. at Ivy Tech Community College, located at 3800 N. Anthony Blvd. in Fort Wayne.

· Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Public Safety Academy at Ivy Tech South Campus, located at 7602 Patriot Crossing in Fort Wayne.

· Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 7:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Wells Fargo Bank in the 8th Floor Suite of Faegre Baker and Daniels LLP in the Board Room and Employee Lounge, located at 111 E. Wayne St. in Fort Wayne.

· Thursday, Nov. 7, from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at St. Johns Lutheran Lake Township in the Fellowship Hall, located at 7914 W. Cook Road in Fort Wayne.

· Thursday, Nov. 7, from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Coventry Meadows Assisted Living, located at 7833 W. Jefferson Blvd. in Fort Wayne.

· Friday, Nov. 8, from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Walmart, located at 5311 Coldwater Road in Fort Wayne.

· Saturday, Nov. 9, from 7:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul in the gymnasium, located at 1720 E. Wallen Road in Fort Wayne.

· Sunday, Nov. 10, from 8 a.m. until noon at First Wayne Street United Methodist Church in the Fellowship Hall, located at 300 E. Wayne St. in Fort Wayne.

· Monday, Nov. 11, from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Grabill Missionary Church in the gymnasium, located at 13637 State St. in Grabill.

· Monday, Nov. 11, from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Walmart Chapel Ridge, located at 10420 Maysville Road in Fort Wayne.

· Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. at Preferred Auto, located at 9206 Lima Road in Fort Wayne.

· Thursday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the Village of Coventry Foyer, located at 5699 Coventry Lane in Fort Wayne. This blood drive is sponsored by International Business College.

· Thursday, Nov. 14, from 2:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at Hope United Methodist Church in the Community Room, located at 6608 Hoagland Road in Hoagland.

· Fort Wayne Donor Center located at 1212 E. California Road in Fort Wayne, (across from the Memorial Coliseum)

Traditional whole blood or double red cell donation:
· Monday and Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
· Wednesday and Thursday: noon – 6 p.m.
· Friday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
· Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Platelet pheresis donation (call 1-800-589-8127 or 260-480-8299 to schedule a platelet donation):
· Monday: 6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
· Tuesday: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
· Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
· Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
· Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
· Saturday: 6:30 a.m. – noon
· Sunday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
· Lutheran Hospital Donor Center located at 7900 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 107 in Fort Wayne (in the South Lobby of Lutheran Hospital)
Traditional whole blood or platelet pheresis donation (no platelet pheresis on Wednesdays): **
· Monday through Wednesday: noon – 6 p.m.
· Thursday through Saturday: 6 a.m. – noon *
* 2nd Thursday of the month: noon – 6 p.m.

How to Donate Blood
To schedule an appointment to donate please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org for more information. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in Indiana and Ohio), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org <http://www.redcross.org/&gt; or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org <http://blog.redcross.org/&gt; .