This summer, blood banks throughout the country are battling to maintain their supplies stocked, and they are asking for the public’s assistance.
The ImpactLife Blood Center strives to keep at least five days’ worth of blood supplies on hand.
They now only have one to two days worth of specific blood kinds before they run out, including:
- O Positive – 1.5 days supply
- B Positive – 2 days supply
- O Negative – 2.5 days supply
- A Negative – 4.5 days supply
On Monday, Iowa’s News Now spoke with Kirby Winn, Manager and Public Relations for ImpactLife, about some of the problems that blood banks are facing.
He stated that one of the issues they are facing is a decline in blood donations during this time of year, as well as the fact that they are still recovering from the pandemic.
“There are organizations that have hosted blood drives before the COVID 19 Pandemic, that just no longer exist,” said Winn. “Even if we had, and where we did have strong relationships and ongoing routine activity with blood drives, those donors that are still in our community. But, our ability to reach them has been diminished.”
ImpactLife is offering a rewards promotion through Sunday, September 10th, to encourage more people to make blood donations.
The rewards promotion includes a $50 e-gift card for first time donors and several other rewards for blood and platelet donors, including:
- Whole blood donations at mobile blood drives: $10 gift card OR $10 AdoptAClassroom.org donation
- Whole blood donations at ImpactLife donor center locations: $25 gift card OR $25 AdoptAClassroom.org donation
- First-time donation at ImpactLife donor center location: $50 gift card OR $50 AdoptAClassroom.org donation (see news release)
- Platelet, plasma, or double red cell donations: $25 gift card OR $25 AdoptAClassroom.org donation
- First or second time platelet donation: $50 gift card OR $50 AdoptAClassroom.org donation