Residents urged to donate blood ahead of 4th of July, potential hurricanes

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - You’re being encouraged to consider donating blood ahead of the 4th of July holiday and any potential hurricanes.

According to a spokesperson for The Blood Center, donations are needed to ensure enough supplies are available. The spokesperson said that summer months are historically challenging for blood centers because of weather, fewer donations due to school breaks, family vacations, and more.

“Now is the time to prepare, and we must remain in a state of readiness,” said Billy Weales, president and CEO of The Blood Center. “Power outages, flooding, and dangerous road conditions caused by storms make blood collections virtually impossible. We need the public to respond now to ensure we are adequately prepared before disaster strikes.”

According to The Blood Center, there are also more cars on the road during the 4th of July holiday. That typically leads to more crashes, which can further drain the blood supply.

“This is already a challenging season,” said Dr. Tim Peterson, medical director for The Blood Center. “Fewer donations and more usage going into a holiday weekend is concerning. Blood is a critical resource used daily in hospitals. It cannot be manufactured. Tt must come from donors.”

Fewer than five percent of eligible blood donors give blood every year. However, The Blood Center needs 200 to 250 donations every day to ensure that hospitals and other medical facilities have enough supplies.

If you’d like to schedule an appointment to donate blood or learn how to host a blood drive, you can visit The Blood Center’s website or call the number (800) 86-BLOOD. There are 11 donor centers across the Gulf South.

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