Blood Donors Needed In Dallas Area: Red Cross Drives Coming Up Soon

DALLAS, TX — The U.S. faces a severe blood supply shortage, and the Red Cross urges people of all blood types to donate.

People who donate blood, platelets or plasma during October will receive an offer for a free Zaxby's signature sandwich. Donors who don't live near a Zaxby's can receive a $5 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice.

The Red Cross recently launched an initiative to increase the number of Black blood donors to help patients with sickle cell anemia. More than 100,000 U.S. residents have sickle cell disease, and the majority are Black. Patients often require regular blood transfusions, but may develop an immune response from blood that isn't closely matched to their own, according to the Red Cross.

Here are the Red Cross blood drives coming up in the Dallas area in the next few weeks. You can search for additional Red Cross blood drives from a wider area here.

• 10/1/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Plano Blood Donation Center, 741 North Central Expressway (Plano)
• 10/1/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Irving Blood Donation Center, 2511 W LYNDON B JOHNSON FREEWAY (Irving)
• 10/1/2021: 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Bass Pro Shop Grapevine, 2501 Bass Pro Drive (Grapevine)
• 10/2/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Plano Blood Donation Center, 741 North Central Expressway (Plano)
• 10/2/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Terradyne Engineering, 1840 Hutton Drive, Suite 190 (Carrollton)
• 10/2/2021: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., American Red Cross Dallas Chapter, 2055 Kendall Dr. (Dallas)
• 10/2/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Irving Blood Donation Center, 2511 W LYNDON B JOHNSON FREEWAY (Irving)
• 10/2/2021: 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church of Forney, 414 W Broad St (Forney)
• 10/3/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Plano Blood Donation Center, 741 North Central Expressway (Plano)
• 10/4/2021: 12 p.m. - 7 p.m., Plano Blood Donation Center, 741 North Central Expressway (Plano)
• 10/4/2021: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., American Red Cross Dallas Chapter, 2055 Kendall Dr. (Dallas)
• 10/4/2021: 1 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Taco Y Vino, 213 W Eighth St (Dallas)
• 10/4/2021: 12 p.m. - 7 p.m., Irving Blood Donation Center, 2511 W LYNDON B JOHNSON FREEWAY (Irving)
• 10/5/2021: 12 p.m. - 7 p.m., Plano Blood Donation Center, 741 North Central Expressway (Plano)
• 10/5/2021: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Country Inn & Suites, 2000 Hard Rock Rd. (Irving)
• 10/5/2021: 12 p.m. - 7 p.m., Irving Blood Donation Center, 2511 W LYNDON B JOHNSON FREEWAY (Irving)
• 10/6/2021: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Omni Dallas Hotel, 555 S. Lamar Street (Dallas)
• 10/6/2021: 12 p.m. - 7 p.m., Irving Blood Donation Center, 2511 W LYNDON B JOHNSON FREEWAY (Irving)
• 10/6/2021: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Forney High School, 800 FM 741 S (Forney)
• 10/6/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Speedway Children's Charities, 3575 Lone Star Circle (Fort Worth)
• 10/7/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., East Lake Event Center, 8630 Thurgood Lane (Dallas)
• 10/7/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Dallas Love Field Airport, 8008 Herb Kelleher Way (Dallas)
• 10/8/2021: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Texas A&M Agrilife Research, 17360 Coit Rd (Dallas)
• 10/8/2021: 7 a.m. - 1 p.m., Baylor Scott and White The Heart Hospital Plano, 1100 Allied Drive (Plano)
• 10/8/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Plano Blood Donation Center, 741 North Central Expressway (Plano)
• 10/8/2021: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., American Red Cross Dallas Chapter, 2055 Kendall Dr. (Dallas)
• 10/8/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Irving Blood Donation Center, 2511 W LYNDON B JOHNSON FREEWAY (Irving)
• 10/8/2021: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1800 W. Freeway (Fort Worth)
• 10/9/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Plano Blood Donation Center, 741 North Central Expressway (Plano)
• 10/9/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Irving Blood Donation Center, 2511 W LYNDON B JOHNSON FREEWAY (Irving)
• 10/10/2021: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Plano Blood Donation Center, 741 North Central Expressway (Plano)
• 10/11/2021: 12 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Shops At Willow Bend, 6121 W. Park Blvd, Suite 1000 (Plano)
• 10/11/2021: 12 p.m. - 7 p.m., Plano Blood Donation Center, 741 North Central Expressway (Plano)
• 10/11/2021: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Gateway Community Church, 2201 Country Club Rd (Wylie)
• 10/11/2021: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 14740 Meandering Way (Dallas)

Click here to see more Red Cross blood drives in the Dallas area, or search for others nearby.

Editor's note: This list was automatically generated using data compiled by the American Red Cross. The local blood drives included in the list are limited to those at the time the Red Cross data was pulled. Please visit RedCrossBlood.org for the most current listing of drives. Please report any errors or other feedback to content@patch.com. Know of another blood drive coming up in your area? You can add it to the Patch calendar using this form.

In most states, donors need to be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in generally good health; some states allow 16-year-olds to donate with parental consent. Donors 18 years old and younger need to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive. Appointments can be made via the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, online or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS.