Community Corner
Cold Blooded: January Weather Hurts Red Cross Donations
Now's the time to donate blood locally: We looked through the numbers to show you how significant your donations really are.
Click hereย toย find the closestย American Red Crossย to donate blood.
The severe cold in many statesย causedย aboutย 300 American Red Cross blood drivesย to cancel operations this week.ย Thisย resulted in a deficit of more than 8,800 blood and platelet donations.
It's an unfortunate way to start this January's Nationalย Blood Donation Month, when people are reminded thatย since blood cannot be manufactured, donations are regularly needed.
Not that long ago the American Red Cross was in such short supply of blood donations that it threatenedย to cause a number ofย surgeries to be cancelled.
In the summer ofย 2012, the Americanย Red Crossย sent out a plea for more blood donations. It wasย 50,000 units short of its blood donation goals inย June and was atย their lowest level in 15 years.
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