A shortage of blood around the nation has the Red Cross concerned about the supply if there is a major disaster. Natural disasters in the country this year left blood banks running low.
“If you think back in February we had all that strange weather where we were closed for days so we probably lost about 30,000 units,” Janet Parlor said.
South Carolina can send and receive blood from other areas but the local Red Cross wants to make sure this state is protected first in the event of a hurricane or other disaster.
“We prefer to help our own state and do our collections for ourself,” Parlor said.
“They can get that blood to wherever it's needed very quickly,” said Tim Zartman who donated today. “It's not like they have to go out of state and wait for it to get here, they have a ready supply, it's here and it's available.”
There's a constant need for blood donations but the Red Cross says it's neccessary to have them ready for transfusions in advance.
“If you're thinking somebody else is going to do it, they're thinking somebody else is going to do it and then nobodys doing it,” Parlor said. “So bring your O+, your B+, your O-, your A-, whatever you got, bring it, we'll take it.”
Blood transfusions go to people in accidents, people in chemo therapy and babies who have blood drawn in hospitals.
“I feel that if I give blood that I'm helping other people out which in turn, if I need the blood I can also get it,” blood donor Joshua Binnar said.
Donating blood takes about an hour. The pint you donate can save up to three lives. To donate this week, go to any of the locations below or check out redcross.org.
Places to donate:
07/18/11 American Red Cross Rivers Park 8085 Rivers Park, Suite D Charleston 29406 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
07/19/11 City of North Charleston 2500 City Hall Lane Charleston 29419 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
07/19/11 Edisto Lion's Club 2907 Myrtle Street Edisto Island 29438 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
07/21/11 SAIC 5617 N. Rhett N Charleston 29405 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
07/21/11 Berkeley County Government 1003 Highway 52 Moncks Corner 29461 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
07/21/11 St. George United Methodist Church 120 South Parler Ave Saint George 29477 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
07/21/11 Albany International 300 Albany Dr Saint Stephen 29479 6:00 am - 11:00 am
07/22/11 American Legion 147 968 Folly Road Charleston 29412 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
07/22/11 MUSC Ashley River Tower 25 Courtenay Drive Charleston 29425 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
07/23/11 St. Andrew's - Mt. Pleasant 440 Whilden Street Mount Pleasant 29464 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
07/24/11 St. Theresa Catholic Church 11001 Dorchester Road Summerville 29485 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
07/24/11 Old St. Andrew's Parish Church 2604 Ashley River Rd. Charleston 29414 8:30 am - 1:30 pm
07/25/11 Christ Episcopal Church 2304 Highway 17 North Mount Pleasant 29465 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
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