RI Blood Center Issues Call For Increased Donations

The Rhode Island Blood Center has issued an urgent call for blood donations to help other centers across the country. Blood types O- and B- are especially needed.

"Due to dangerously cold temps in the Midwest, and cold/flu outbreaks throughout the U.S., our sister blood centers are struggling to meet blood and platelet collection goals for patients and hospitals," said the RIBC in a post on Facebook.

The blood center is not just looking for a one-time spike in donations, rather a steady increase throughout the winter months.

"Donations tend to decrease in winter months anyway, with more people not feeling well and not wanting to go out in the cold," said Kara LeBlanc, Marketing Communications Manager at RIBC. "The extreme cold and flu outbreaks across the country are only making it worse."

LeBlanc said that while the center's main priority is always to ensure Rhode Island has an adequate blood supply, they're hoping to help replenish depleted stocks in the Midwest.

"The extreme cold is forcing a lot of places to cancel planned blood drives, but there's still a need for blood. It doesn't just go away," LeBlanc said.

Donations can be made at any of RIBC's six locations: Narragansett, Westerly, Providence, Woonsocket, Middletown, or Warwick. Appointments can be made online.

Anyone who makes a donation in a center from January 27 through February 24 will be entered to win a pair of tickets to see James Taylor at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on March 2.