Give The Gift Of Life By Donating Blood In Broomall

BROOMALL, PA – The holidays are known for the giving spirit and a hectic pace. This holiday season, the American Red Cross is sharing several ways to give the gift of life in less time.

Those in the Broomall area have a chance this week and in December to give back this holiday season.

Blood drives will be held at the following times, dates, and locations:

• Nov. 21, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Marple Christian Church, 475 Lawrence Road, Broomall
• Dec. 9, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Marple Presbyterian Church, CE Building, 105 N. Sproul Road, Broomall

This time of year many regular blood and platelet donors delay giving due to busy schedules– but the need for blood remains. To help donors fit in a donation, the Red Cross offers three easy ways to make helping save lives faster and more convenient:

• RapidPass® – Donors can complete their pre-donation reading and health history questions online to save about 15 minutes at their donation. In September, RapidPass became available on mobile devices, giving donors the ability to complete their RapidPass from a smartphone, tablet or computer.
• Blood Donor App – Through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, users can find local blood drives and donation centers, schedule an appointment, receive appointment reminders and keep track of total blood donations – all from the palm of their hand.
• Online appointment scheduling – Donors can conveniently schedule an appointment and find tips for a successful blood or platelet donation at redcrossblood.org.

"The Red Cross is thankful for the generosity of donors who help keep hospital shelves stocked with lifesaving blood products, but we know that the holiday activities that we cherish most can make it difficult for many regular donors to find a moment to donate this time of year," Alana Mauger, external communications manager of the Penn Jersey Blood Services Region, said. "We hope technologies like online appointment scheduling, the Blood Donor App and RapidPass will make it a little easier for donors to give more life for patients this holiday season."

Patients don’t get a holiday break from needing lifesaving transfusions, and all blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply is available. Appointments can be made by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting the Red Cross website or calling 1-800-733-2767.

To learn more about RapidPass, visit the RapidPass webpage and follow the instructions on the site.

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