Published by Kirby Winn on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 in News Releases
Patients in need of a blood transfusion cannot wait until after the holidays. But the busy holiday season means fewer blood drives and many donors delaying their next appointment until after the new year. The increasing gap between blood utilization and the rate of blood donation has leaders at ImpactLife concerned over the region’s blood supply through the remaining weeks of the holiday season.
To schedule appointments for donation, call (800) 747-5401, online at www.bloodcenter.org, or by using the blood center’s mobile app (www.bloodcenter.org/app).
“We need to collect an average of 3600 donations per week to optimally provide for the hospitals we serve,” said Amanda Hess, Vice President, Donor Relations and Marketing. “But with Christmas and New Year’s ahead, we are projected to collect well below that number for the next several weeks.”
![ImpactLife blood collection projection chart]()
Collection Projection through Week of Jan. 10 (3600 needed weekly)
ImpactLife needs donations from all blood types but is especially concerned about the supply of type O red blood cells, platelets of all blood types, and AB plasma. Type O red blood cells and AB plasma are “universal” products, in high demand because they can be transfused to patients of all blood types.
The weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year holidays are especially challenging, with many groups unable to schedule mobile blood drives and donors busy with holiday events and travel. Yet there are still opportunities to give blood at community blood drives and ImpactLife donation centers across the blood center’s service region. For scheduling information, donors are asked to call ImpactLife at (800) 747-5401, schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org, or via the ImpactLife mobile app.
“Thank You” to Donors: all receive voucher for ImpactLife shirt or gift card, and entry in $500 gift card drawing
![ImpactLife donor shirt image]()
ImpactLife is excited to offer all blood donors a gift as a special thank you. Everyone who registers to give blood by January 16, 2022 at any ImpactLife donor center or mobile blood drive will receive a voucher to redeem for a long-sleeve ImpactLife donor shirt or gift card. Additionally, all who come to give between Dec. 13 and Jan. 2 will be automatically entered for a chance to win a weekly drawing for a $500 gift card. (Learn more at www.bloodcenter.org/promotions.)
About ImpactLife
ImpactLife is a not-for-profit community organization providing blood services to 126 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. ImpactLife operates 20 Donor Centers and holds approximately 5000 mobile blood drives annually to provide blood components needed for patient transfusions at hospitals throughout our region.
ImpactLife recently announced its new name. For more information on the name change, see www.bloodcenter.org/impactlife. For more information, see www.bloodcenter.org and find us @impactlifeblood on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat.
-end-