Dear Members, Families and Friends,
Our current community situation needs your help in the form of more blood donations. Thank you for those who have already donated in January: 39 Rotarians! Three of those donors gave platelets, while 36 gave whole blood. See the message below from Bloodworks NW.
Bloodworks Northwest is declaring a Code Red emergency blood shortage.
Blood donors are urgently needed to combat a severe shortage: less than half of the donors needed in February have signed up to give. Patient needs are high locally and requests for emergency shipments of blood are coming in from across the country due to severe weather events and other crises. What can our community do to help? We’re urging everyone who is eligible and feeling healthy to help fill immediate appointments to donate at a donor center or blood drive near you. There are immediate opportunities to donate, and appointments in the weeks ahead are just as vital. Right now, universal Type O and Platelet donors are extremely important, especially for cancer, trauma, and emergencies. Giving blood is easy to do and saves lives in our local hospitals. Appointments can be made at www.bloodworksnw.org/giveblood, 800-398-7888, email schedule@bloodworksnw.org, or text bwapp to 999777 to download the Bloodworks Mobile App. Wherever you donate, be sure to let Bloodworks know you are donating with Rotary District 5030 or provide the code “5030” when you arrive to donate to count toward our cumulative impact!
Facts:
- Over 27,000 open appointments left to be filled through February.
- Over 7,500 need to be filled in the next 10 days.
- Local hospitals are transfusing more Type O blood than is being donated locally.
- You do not need to know your blood type to become a donor. Learn about blood types.
