MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The end of winter on the calendar hasn’t actually led to the start of warmer weather — something local Red Cross representatives have noticed.
“Donate at a local drive that is not affected by snow,” said Ben Davis, a local District Manager. “We’d like for them to do so, and we’d really appreciate the help to help insure that we meet our number, which is, nation-wide, about 13,000 blood and platelet donations that we need to collect every day to meet the needs of our hospitals and patients.”
Winter weather in parts of the country forced more than 270 blood drives to cancel, the organization announced. That resulted in more than 9,500 uncollected blood and platelet donations in the first two weeks of March alone.
Davis suggested interested potential donors can now use an interactive application to help The Red Cross meet their needs.
“You can download our Blood Donor app, which I really encourage,” Davis said. “I think it’s one of the best things we’ve got going to find blood drives and also to track your donations.”
The winter weather isn’t the only reason donations are vital this March, which is Red Cross Month.
“Only about 38 percent of the population is eligible, but only about four percent of those folks actually donate,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of folks out there who are eligible to donate and don’t donate on a regular basis. Those are the folks we’d like to come and help us out.”
Blood drives began this week in Morgantown and Elkins. Additional drives will be held in the next three weeks in Morgantown, Blacksville, Fairmont, Bridgeport, Weston, Elkins, Buckhannon, and Glenville.
You can find drives at www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
Dates are listed as follows:
Morgantown
- 3/28/2018: 1:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Student Rec Center, 2001 Rec Center Drive
- 3/29/2018: 1:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., West Virginia University Honors Hall Morgantown, 250 2nd St
- 3/30/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., RSMO Am Red Cross Morgantown, 1299 Pineview Drive, Suite 300
- 4/6/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., RSMO Am Red Cross Morgantown, 1299 Pineview Drive, Suite 300
- 4/11/2018: 1:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., West Virginia University Lyon Tower, Evansdale Drive
- 4/12/2018: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., West Virginia University St. John University Parish, 1481 University Ave
- 4/13/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., RSMO Am Red Cross Morgantown, 1299 Pineview Drive, Suite 300
Blacksville
- 3/28/2018: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Clay Battelle Middle School, 6226 Mason-Dixon Hwy
Elkins
- 3/30/2018: 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Davis Medical Center, Reed Street and Gorman Avenue
- 4/6/2018: 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Madden Student Center, 100 College Drive
- 4/11/2018: 12:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Elkins Community – Sr Center, 5th Street & Railroad Avenue
Fairmont
- 4/4/2018: 1 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Central United Methodist Church, 301 Fairmont Ave
Bridgeport
- 4/4/2018: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Benedum Civic Center, 164 West Main Street
Buckhannon
- 4/5/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., West Virginia Wesleyan College Benedum Center Social Hall, 59 College Avenue
Weston
- 4/9/2018: 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Lewis County High School Gym, 205 Minuteman Drive
Glenville
- 4/10/2018: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Glenville State College Glenville Mollohan Building, 200 High St