Before busy summer schedules set in, the American Red Cross urges eligible donors to roll up a sleeve to help ensure a sufficient supply for patients in need.
Donors of all blood types are needed now to help accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving cancer treatment.
Kenneth Reed gives blood in his son’s honor. When Trace was 8 days old, he underwent heart surgery and received blood transfusions. “It’s the least I can do. If it wasn’t for donors, he wouldn’t be here with us today,” said Reed. “I don’t call it donating blood; I call it donating life.”
Giving blood is an easy and thoughtful way to honor a loved one who has relied on blood products, to follow in the example of a family member who gives regularly or to simply help others.
As a thank you, those who come out to donate May 26-30 will receive a Red Cross-branded visor, while supplies last. Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors can then also visit redcrossblood.org/cedarfair to enter to win one of three grand prize packages for four to Knott’s Berry Farm in California or Cedar Point in Ohio.
Since 1911, the American Red Cross has served the Western North Carolina area by preventing and alleviating human suffering. Today, the Red Cross provides blood products and specialized laboratory services to hospitals and is the only blood services provider that also offers health and safety training, serves as a vital communication link between military personnel and their families, teaches disaster preparedness, and provides relief to victims of disasters.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities:
Avery County:
Banner Elk
5/31/2017: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Lowe’s 1834, 2014 Tynecastle Hwy
Newland
5/19/2017: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Avery County High School, 401 Avery County High School Rd
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Buncombe County:
Asheville
5/15/2017: 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/15/2017: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Highland Brewing Company, 12 Old Charlotte Highway, Suite H
5/16/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/17/2017: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/18/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/22/2017: 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/23/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/24/2017: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/25/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/29/2017: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/30/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/31/2017: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
5/31/2017: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Buncombe County Employees Administration Building, 200 College Street
6/1/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
6/3/2017: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
6/4/2017: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Avenue
6/4/2017: 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., St. Eugenes Catholic Church, 72 Culvern Street
6/5/2017: 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
6/6/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
6/7/2017: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
6/8/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
6/12/2017: 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
6/13/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
6/14/2017: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
6/15/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Asheville Blood Donation Center, 100 Edgewood Road
Black Mountain
5/26/2017: 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Black Mountain Fire Department, 106 Montreat Rd
6/1/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, 117 Montreat Road
Candler
5/24/2017: 7 a.m. – 12 p.m., TSA Choice, 108 Asheville Commerce Pkwy
Leicester
5/16/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Leicester Elementary School, 31 Gilbert Road
Swannanoa
6/16/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Ingles Markets Swannanoa Store, 2299 Us Hwy 70
Weaverville
5/21/2017: 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Weaverville United Methodist Church Fellowship Building, 85 North Main Street
6/9/2017: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Lowe’s 2634, 24 North Ridge Commons Parkway
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Cherokee County:
Murphy
5/30/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Lowe’s Murphy, 198 Bulldog Dr
6/12/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Shepherd of the Mountains, 68 Fairfax Lane
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Haywood County:
Canton
5/22/2017: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., North Hominy Community Center, 2670 Newfound Road
5/27/2017: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Crestview Baptist Church, 3258 Pisgah Drive
6/8/2017: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Pisgah High School, 1 Black Bear Drive
6/11/2017: 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Central United Methodist Church, 34 Church Street
Clyde
6/7/2017: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Haywood Regional Medical Center Health & Fitness Center-Classrooms, 75 Leroy George Road
Haywood
5/17/2017: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Waynesville Fire Department, 1022 N. Main Street
Waynesville
5/24/2017: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way
6/8/2017: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Francis Cove UMC, 2350 Crymes Cove RD
6/12/2017: 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Masonic Lodge Waynesville, 435 East Marshall Street
6/15/2017: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., American Legion Post #47, 171 Legion Drive
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Henderson County:
Etowah
5/19/2017: 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Etowah Elementary School, 320 Etowah School Road
Hendersonville
5/15/2017: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., American Red Cross, 203 2nd Ave. East
5/17/2017: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Applebee’s, 1635 Four Seasons Blvd.
5/23/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 204 6th Avenue West
5/25/2017: 2:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Hendersonville Church of Christ, 1975 Haywood Road
6/7/2017: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Mud Creek Baptist Church, 403 Rutledge Road
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Jackson County:
Sylva
5/23/2017: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Southwestern Community College – Burrell Building, 447 College Drive
5/25/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Harris Regional Hospital, 68 Hospital Drive
6/2/2017: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Jackson County Department on Aging, 100 County Services Park
6/9/2017: 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 77 Jackson St
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Macon County:
Franklin
5/18/2017: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., First Baptist Church Franklin, 69 Iotla Street
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Madison County:
Hot Springs
6/16/2017: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., WT (Bill Whitten) Community Center, N. Andrews St
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McDowell County:
Marion
5/23/2017: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., McDowell Tech College, 54 College Drive
5/26/2017: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Lowe’s 1922 Marion, 480 US Hwy 70
6/7/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Marion Community Building, 99 North Main Street
6/8/2017: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Walmart 1694, 2875 Sugar Hill Road
6/13/2017: 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Pleasant Gardens Baptist Church, 214 P.G. Baptist Church Rd.
6/15/2017: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Haldex Brake Products Corporation, 5334 Hwy 221 South
Old Fort
5/16/2017: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., First Baptist Church, 203 East Main Street
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Mitchell County:
Bakersville
6/3/2017: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Gouge Elementary School, 134 Laurel St, Bakersville
Spruce Pine
6/2/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Mike Brown Ford-Subaru – Spruce Pine, 10992 South 226 Hwy
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Polk County:
Tryon
5/22/2017: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., Holy Cross Episcopal Church, 150 Melrose Avenue
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Rutherford County:
Forest City
5/20/2017: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Lowe’s 1788, 184 Lowes Blvd.
6/12/2017: 12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., Chili’s of Forest City, 128 Sparks Crossing
Rutherfordton
5/17/2017: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Rutherford Regional Medical Center, 288 South Ridgecrest Ave.
6/8/2017: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., First Baptist Church of Rutherfordton, 246 North Main Street
Spindale
5/22/2017: 3 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Spindale United Methodist Church, E. Main and Methodist Dr
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Swain County:
Bryson City
6/1/2017: 3:30 p.m. – 8 p.m., Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, 27 Robinson Gap Road
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Transylvania County:
Brevard
6/10/2017: 7:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 325 North Broad Street
6/13/2017: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 150 Brian Berg Lane
Pisgah Forest
5/16/2017: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Schenck Job Corps, 98 Schenck Dr.
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Yancey County:
Burnsville
5/18/2017: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Newdale Fire Department, 98 River Walk Road
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How to help:
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.
Volunteers needed:
Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross is to become a volunteer transportation specialist and deliver lifesaving blood products to local area hospitals. Volunteer transportation specialists play a very important role in ensuring an ample blood supply for patients in need by transporting blood and blood products. For more information and to apply for a volunteer transportation specialist position, visit rdcrss.org/driver.