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.
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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
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Clay
Louisville
11/4/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., St John Lutheran Church Louisville, 17684 E 1st Avenue
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Clinton
Aviston
11/9/2015: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., American Legion Hall, 601 S.Clinton St.
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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
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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
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Fayette
Farina
11/2/2015: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., South Central High School, 800 W Washington
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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
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Jasper
Newton
11/13/2015: 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Newton High School, 201 West End Ave.
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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.
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Jersey
Jerseyville
11/12/2015: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Knights of Columbus Hall, 307 N. State St.
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Macoupin
Brighton
11/13/2015: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., St Alphonsus Church, 918 N. Main St.
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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
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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
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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.
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Montgomery
Witt
11/3/2015: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Witt Lions Club, 600 W Broadway
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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
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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
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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
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Washington
Nashville
11/3/2015: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Washington County Hospital-Nashville, 705 South Grand
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Mo.
Crawford
Cuba
11/2/2015: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wallis Oil, 106 East Washington Street
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Franklin
Union
11/6/2015: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Central Elementary School, 2 East Springfield
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Sainte Genevieve
Sainte Genevieve
11/12/2015: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., United Steel Workers, 950 South Gabouri
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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.