ST. LOUIS – The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood before the holiday season is in full swing.

Blood donations often decline from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day when holiday festivities pull people away from their donation appointments. This often causes a drop in the blood available for patients. Donations are needed in the weeks leading up to the holidays to help offset this seasonal decline.

Blood donor Kathy Steckly Neuschwander’s father gave blood for years. She always saw him wear his pin when he reached his next gallon – about 12 gallons total. When he was diagnosed with leukemia, she and her family learned firsthand how important blood donations could be around the holidays.

“He passed away in 1994 from leukemia and needed a blood transfusion so we could have one more Thanksgiving together,” she said. “My brother and sister were able to come home from the East Coast for this. I can now say I am wearing his three-gallon pin.”

Donors with all blood types are needed, and especially those with types O negative, B negative, A negative and AB blood. To make an appointment to donate blood, download the free Red Cross Blood Donor App from app stores, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors can now use the Blood Donor App to access their donor card and view vital signs from previous donations.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

 

Ill.

 

Bond

 

Greenville

11/12/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., VFW Post 1377, 2043 S 4th St

 

Pocahontas

11/10/2015: 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., St Nicholas Church, 401 E State St

_______________

 

Clay

 

Louisville

11/4/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., St John Lutheran Church Louisville, 17684 E 1st Avenue

_______________

 

Clinton

 

Aviston

11/9/2015: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., American Legion Hall, 601 S.Clinton St.

_______________

 

Coles

 

Charleston

11/8/2015: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Salisbury Church, 2350 East Madison

11/11/2015: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Eastern Illinois University Charleston Student Rec Center, 600 Lincoln Ave.

 

Mattoon

11/2/2015: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 10 Charleston Ave

11/12/2015: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Lake Land College, 5001 Lake Land Blvd

_______________

 

Effingham

 

Beecher City

11/4/2015: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Beecher City High School, 438 East State Hwy 33

 

Edgewood

11/7/2015: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., American Legion Hall - Edgewood, 810 Route 37

 

Teutopolis

11/3/2015: 1:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 210 South Pearl

_______________

 

Fayette

 

Farina

11/2/2015: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., South Central High School, 800 W Washington

_______________

 

Franklin

 

Benton

11/13/2015: 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Benton High School, 511 East Main Street

 

Whittington

11/10/2015: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Whittington Church, 200 Main Street

_______________

 

Jasper

 

Newton

11/13/2015: 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Newton High School, 201 West End Ave.

_______________

 

Jefferson

 

Dix

11/4/2015: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Dix Community Center, 217 N. Main

 

Ina

11/3/2015: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Rend Lake College, 468 N. Kengray Parkway

11/4/2015: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Rend Lake College, 468 N. Kengray Parkway

 

Opdyke

11/10/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Opdyke Baptist Church, 9208 N. Opdyke Ln.

_______________

 

Jersey

 

Jerseyville

11/12/2015: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Knights of Columbus Hall, 307 N. State St.

_______________

 

Macoupin

 

Brighton

11/13/2015: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., St Alphonsus Church, 918 N. Main St.

_______________

 

Madison

 

Alton

11/9/2015: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Centerstone, 2615 Edwards Street

11/9/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Main Street United Methodist Church, 1400 Main St

 

Collinsville

11/14/2015: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., J5 CrossFit, 9500 Collinsville Road, Suite C

 

Godfrey

11/11/2015: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Alton Wood River Sportsmens Club, 3109 Godfrey Road

 

Highland

11/2/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Highland Hope UMC, 12846 Daiber

 

Roxana

11/7/2015: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Rox Arena, 2 Park Drive

_______________

 

Marion

 

Centralia

11/9/2015: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Kaskaskia College, Shattuc Road

11/10/2015: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Kaskaskia College, Shattuc Road

 

Salem

11/15/2015: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., St Theresa of Avila Catholic Church, 812 West Main

_______________

 

Monroe

 

Columbia

11/2/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Hope Christian Church, 9273 Coach Stop Road

 

Waterloo

11/2/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., First Baptist Church, 718 N. Market St.

_______________

 

Montgomery

 

Witt

11/3/2015: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Witt Lions Club, 600 W Broadway

_______________

 

Randolph

 

Chester

11/3/2015: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Chester High School, 1901 Swanwick Street

 

Prairie du Rocher

11/11/2015: 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., American Legion Hall, 509 Henry Street

 

Red Bud

11/10/2015: 1:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Red Bud Regional Hospital, 325 Spring Street

_______________

 

Richland

 

Olney

11/1/2015: 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., St Joseph Stringtown Community Club, North Stringtown Road

11/12/2015: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., VFW, 205 N Walnut

11/15/2015: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., St Joseph Catholic Church-Olney, 220 South Elliott Street

_______________

 

Saint Clair

 

Dupo

11/2/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Bluffview Elementary, 905 Bluffview Elementary Lane

11/6/2015: 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Dupo High School, 600 Louisa Avenue

 

East Saint Louis

11/13/2015: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., East St Louis Senior High, 4901 State Street

 

Lebanon

11/12/2015: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., McKendree University, 1200 Alton

 

Millstadt

11/12/2015: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., Millstadt Consolidated School, 211 West Mill Street

 

Saint Libory

11/5/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., American Legion Hall, 7236 State Route 15

_______________

 

Washington

 

Nashville

11/3/2015: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Washington County Hospital-Nashville, 705 South Grand

_______________

 

 

Mo.

 

Crawford

 

Cuba

11/2/2015: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wallis Oil, 106 East Washington Street

_______________

 

Franklin

 

Union

11/6/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Central Elementary School, 2 East Springfield

_______________

 

Jefferson

 

Arnold

11/2/2015: 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus Pope John XXIII, 1623 Jeffco Blvd.

11/3/2015: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., VFW Post 2593, 2301 Church Road

 

Desoto

11/15/2015: 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., St Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 504 S. 3rd and Miller

 

Festus

11/9/2015: 7:45 a.m. - 1 p.m., Jefferson R-7 High School, 7 Blue Jay Way

 

Hillsboro

11/10/2015: 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Jefferson College, 1000 Viking

 

Imperial

11/5/2015: 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Windsor High School, 6208 Highway 61/67

_______________

 

Saint Charles

 

Harvester

11/15/2015: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., St Elizabeth Ann Seton, 2 Seton Ct

 

Lake Saint Louis

11/5/2015: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Heritage of Hawk Ridge Clubhouse, 225 Pigeon

 

O Fallon

11/3/2015: 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Ft. Zumwalt West Middle School, 150 Waterford Crossing

 

Saint Charles

11/15/2015: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., St Charles Moose Lodge, 2705 Veterans Memorial Parkway

_______________

 

Saint Francois

 

Farmington

11/6/2015: 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Farmington High School, 1 Black Knight Drive

11/8/2015: 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., St Joseph Catholic Church, 501 Carleton

 

Park Hills

11/10/2015: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 401 Taylor Avenue

_______________

 

Saint Louis

 

Chesterfield

11/12/2015: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Elite Football Academy, 17363 Edison Ave.

11/13/2015: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Banfield Pet Hospital, 262 THF Blvd.

 

Creve Coeur

11/5/2015: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Spectrum Healthcare Resources, 12647 Olive Blvd.

 

Eureka

11/2/2015: 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Elks Lodge, 19 W 1st St

11/4/2015: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., St Louis County Library - Eureka Hills, 156 Towne Center

 

Fenton

11/11/2015: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Wal-mart, 653 Gravois Bluff Blvd

 

Florissant

11/9/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., St Louis County Library, 195 S New Florissant Road

 

Manchester

11/7/2015: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., St John United Church of Christ, 332 Old Sulphur Springs

 

Maryland Heights

11/8/2015: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Grace Church, 2695 Creve Coeur Mill Road

 

Saint Louis

11/11/2015: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Missouri Baptist University, One College Park Dr.

 

University City

11/12/2015: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Centennial Commons, 7210 Olive Blvd

_______________

 

Saint Louis City

 

11/1/2015: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., South City Family YMCA, 3150 Sublette Ave.

11/2/2015: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd

11/4/2015: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Jones Lang LaSalle, 1 Metropolitan Square, 211 North Broadway

11/10/2015: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Shriners Hospitals for Children, 4400 Clayton Ave.

11/13/2015: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Abrams Building, 1520 Market Street

_______________

 

Sainte Genevieve

 

Sainte Genevieve

11/12/2015: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., United Steel Workers, 950 South Gabouri

_______________

 

How to donate blood

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

 

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

 

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

 

More like this: