Fourth of July: Donors needed to support blood supply through holiday weekend

Published by Alex Fees on Saturday, June 28, 2025 in News Releases

ImpactLife is calling on blood donors to add appointments this week and on Independence Day, Friday, July 4, to help make up for donations lost due to the holiday. Summer is already a challenging time for the blood supply, and with fewer mobile blood drives scheduled this week, the rate of blood donation can drop by as much as 20%. To book an appointment for blood donation, call (800) 747-5401, text LIFESAVER to 999-777, or schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org or via the ImpactLife mobile app (www.bloodcenter.org/app).

ImpactLife donor center locations will be open on Friday, July 4. And to help with the need for additional donations ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend, donors who give blood at ImpactLife donor center locations through July 6 will receive a $20 gift card or Good Giving donation bonus.

In addition, all donors who give at a donor center or mobile blood drive through July 20 will have the opportunity to enter a drawing for a Nintendo Switch 2 console and Mario Kart World Bundle valued at $499. (Complete details and how to enter the drawing at www.bloodcenter.org/switch.)

ImpactLife hosted a blood drive at MU Health Care Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, Missouri, on the Monday before Independence Day weekend. Summertime is the blood industry “trauma season.” The need for blood goes up while the supply decreases due to summer schedules and vacation activities. Dr. Jeff Ehmke is a Capitol Region E-R physician.

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“The week of Fourth of July can be difficult,” said Stephen Gates, Director, Blood Drive Partnerships. “A lot of people will enjoy some time off and celebrate our great nation’s independence, but blood donation can’t take a day off. Our donor centers are open because we need those donors to come through the door and provide lifesaving medicine.”

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Lindsay Erhardt-Hansen, Manager, Regional Development, thanks donors who will take the time to give blood in the week ahead. “You’re doing something unique and special, and you can share that with your neighbors, friends, and family,” said Erhardt-Hansen. “Giving blood is another way to celebrate the holiday together.”

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ImpactLife Donor Rewards
Through its Donor For Life program, ImpactLife offers rewards that grow in value with each donation made within a calendar year. Donors can choose from an electronic gift card, bonus points to use in the Donor Rewards Store, or the option to make a charitable donation to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit of their choice through the blood center's Good Giving program.

To encourage additional donations through Fourth of July weekend, those who give blood at ImpactLife donor center locations through July 6 will receive a $20 gift card or Good Giving donation bonus. The bonus is applied on top of the donor’s achieved frequency level reward, so gift card values begin at $40 and increase with the donor’s annual number of donations. A full rewards chart—including values for different donation types (e.g., Whole Blood, Double Red Cell, or Platelet/Plasma)—is shown below.

ImpactLife’s Good Giving program allows donors to take the incentive reward gift cards they receive and “pay it forward” in a cash donation to the registered charity of their choice.

"Good Giving has made first-time blood donors out of a lot of people who simply have a generous nature," said Alex Fees, Community Relations Manager.

GOOD GIVING: support the nonprofit of your choice

About ImpactLife
ImpactLife's mission is to save lives by engaging donors, supporting partners, and advancing medicine. Founded in 1974, ImpactLife supplies blood products and services to hundreds of hospitals, emergency services organizations, clinical researchers, and other blood centers throughout Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. The nonprofit blood provider is ranked among the leading 12 blood suppliers in the United States. For more information on current blood inventory levels, our donor promotions, and more, see www.bloodcenter.org and find us @impactlifeblood on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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