The organization was about 37,000 donations short of what is typically expected during those months, or 5 percent nationally.
“Those are already affected months, with the holidays and winter weather creeping in,” said Jan Hale, American Red Cross Central Plains communications manager. “It’s just a difficult time for people to make blood donations, but the reality is that the need is still there. The blood that we have is being distributed to the hospitals faster than the donations are coming in. Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.”
On Wednesday, the American Red Cross took donations at Sam’s Club and 11 donors had given blood by noon.
Kaitlyn Krager, of Salina, who is studying for her doctorate degree at Creighton University, has been donating blood since she was 16. She said she donates because she knows people who have needed blood in the past.
“I’ve donated over 3 gallons of blood in my lifetime,” she said. “A lot of people in my family are anemic and I’m not, so I kind of feel obligated to give blood. One of the times someone I know needed blood was during an emergency and they were able to get it because of people who donate their time and blood to help them.”
Krager said she enjoys receiving notifications that her blood has been used to help someone but said, “I’m not a fan of the finger stick.”
Ruth Oriez, of Lindsborg, said she gives blood to give back to others.
“I work for the Salvation Army and try to give blood whenever I can,” she said. “I have a lot of relations who have passed away from cancer so I feel anything I can do to help others live, I should. I’ve undergone a number of surgeries and blood is something a lot of people will need during most of their procedures.”
To sign up to donate blood, go online to redcross.org, download the Blood Donor app or call 1-800-733-2767.
— Reporter Eric Wiley can be reached at 822-1407 or by email at ewiley@salina.com.
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