The Woodbury Lions Club is hosting a Cannon County Community Wide Area Blood Drive today at the Woodbury Lions Club Building from noon till 6 The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood to help ensure a sufficient blood supply throughout the holiday season.
A seasonal decline in donations often occurs from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day when donors get busy with family gatherings and travel. However, patients don’t get a holiday vacation from needing lifesaving transfusions. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.
Lorie Alwes remembers her father being called often to give blood – even on holidays. He had type O negative blood, the universal blood type. “One time it was in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner and off he went without hesitation,” she recalls. “He explained to us kids that his blood was used in emergency situations and could possibly save another life.”
Years later, Alwes learned that she also has type O negative blood. She has since donated whenever needed and has encouraged her 17-year-old son to carry on the lifesaving family tradition that was so important to his grandfather.
Donors with all blood types are needed, and especially those with types O negative, B negative, A negative and AB.
To make an appointment to donate blood, people can download the Red Cross Blood Donor App from app stores, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
WBRY will have reports throughout the day from the Woodbury Lions Club Building promoting the Blood Drive today
