Published by Kirby Winn on Monday, June 13, 2022 in News Releases
(June 13, 2022 | Davenport, Iowa) – Facing an urgent need for additional donors, ImpactLife asks all eligible and potential donors to schedule appointments to give blood during the week of World Blood Donor Day (Tues., June 14). ImpactLife is responding to a decrease in the rate of blood donation during the first weeks of summer that means our region’s blood supply is now approaching critical levels. To schedule, call ImpactLife at (800) 747-5401, visit www.bloodcenter.org, or download the ImpactLife mobile app at www.bloodcenter.org/app.
Dr. Louis Katz, Chief Medical Officer for ImpactLife, says patients receive blood transfusions in settings that range from the NICU to oncology, surgery, trauma, and obstetrics. “Blood products given by volunteer donors help save lives at hospitals every day across our region,” said Katz. “We need donors every day to support not just routine blood needs, but for emergencies. Donated blood requires up to 4 days to process, so giving today will fill the shelves at your hospital for both regular use and unforeseen emergencies.”
![World Blood Donor Day]()
World Blood Donor Day is Tuesday, June 14; Opportunities to engage on social media
Observed annually on June 14, World Blood Donor Day serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank volunteer donors for their lifesaving gifts of blood. Those who support the blood center’s mission can help with outreach and engagement by sharing ImpactLife content on social media. Options include graphics for each blood type, the World Blood Donor Day image, and Snapchat filters in place at each of the ImpactLife Donor Centers. Supporters are also invited to share a photo of themselves giving blood, using #WorldBloodDonorDay + #WBDD22 and tagging @impactlifeblood. For more information and links to graphics, see www.bloodcenter.org/WBDD.
The June 14 date commemorates the birth of Dr. Karl Landsteiner, born June 14, 1868 in Vienna, Austria. Landsteiner’s research identified the main blood groups: type A, type B, type AB and type O, as well as the Rh-factor in blood.
To thank those who schedule appointments at this critical time of year, ImpactLife will provide all presenting donors through July 10 with a voucher redeemable for the donor’s choice of a gift card or 500 bonus points to use in the ImpactLife Donor Rewards Store. (Gift card options include Amazon, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Subway, Starbucks, and Walmart.) Learn more at www.bloodcenter.org/promotions.
Thank the Donor: Transfusion Recipients Share Thanks
ImpactLife’s Thank the Donor program connects transfusion recipients with the donor whose blood the patient actually received. To date, 788 messages of appreciation have been sent to donors, including this recent photo and message:
![TTD donor]()
“Thank you for being so kind and helping a complete stranger in their time of need. I sincerely appreciate it!” ~ A Transfusion Recipient, submitted via Thank the Donor
More information at www.bloodcenter.org/thankthedonor
About ImpactLife
ImpactLife is a not-for-profit community organization providing blood services to 124 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, as well as resource sharing partners across the country. Services extend from southcentral Wisconsin to St. Louis, Missouri and from Danville, Illinois to Chariton, Iowa. (See a map of the ImpactLife service region.) ImpactLife operates 22 Donor Centers and holds approximately 5000 mobile blood drives annually to provide blood components needed for patient transfusions at hospitals throughout our region.
For more information, see www.bloodcenter.org and find us @impactlifeblood on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube.
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