By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Organizations say blood donations dropped to nearly nonexistent this winter
0130BLOOD 0003
Empty seats line the room at the LifeSouth Community Blood Center in Gainesville on Friday. Blood donations have slowed down in many areas due to rough weather causing the blood supply to reach emergency levels. - photo by Erin O. Smith

Upcoming blood drives held by LifeSouth and American Red Cross

Feb. 2: Noon to 3 p.m., Walgreens, 3290 Keith Bridge Road, Cumming (LS)

Feb. 2: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Oaks at Limestone, 2560 Flint Ridge Road, Gainesville. (LS)

Feb. 3: 1-8:30 p.m. Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church, 4675 Winder Highway, Chestnut Mountain (LS)

Feb. 4: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., University of North Georgia, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood (ARC)

Feb. 5:  1-6 p.m., Ingles, 285 North Broad St., Winder (LS)

Feb. 5:  11 a.m. to 4 p.m., City of Gainesville Public Utilities, 757 Queen City Parkway, Gainesville. (LS)

Feb. 5: 4:30-7 p.m., PetSmart, 842 Dawsonville Highway, Gainesville. (LS)

Feb. 7: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., J&J Foods, 1075 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Gainesville. (LS)

Feb. 8: Noon  to 5 p.m., Northeast Georgia Medical Center, North Tower/South Tower (Bloodmobile), 743 Spring St., Gainesville (ARC)

Feb. 9:  9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Northeast Georgia Health System, 743 Spring St., Gainesville (ARC)

Feb. 10: Noon  to 7 p.m., Northeast Georgia Medical Center, North Tower/South Tower (Bloodmobile), 743 Spring St., Gainesville (ARC)

Feb. 12: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton, Education Conference Centers 2 and 3 (ARC)

Across Georgia, blood banks are in dire need of the blood donations that save lives on a daily basis. Due to the recent weather the South has received, normally low winter donation numbers have dropped to nearly nonexistent, while the need for blood transfusions in hospitals has remained the same.

“We still haven’t recovered from winter,” said John Andrews, district community development Coordinator for LifeSouth. “And people are not coming out to donate.”

Both the American Red Cross and LifeSouth continuously require donors to supply the blood needed in hundreds of Georgia hospitals.

To underline the need, both LifeSouth and The Red Cross have added dominant banners to their homepages, asking for donations to fix the shortage.  

“We need platelet donations and all blood types every day,” said LifeSouth VP of Operations J.B. Bowles. “But right now donors are especially needed. If you don’t normally give, now is when we need you most.”

Donation appointments with either the American Red Cross or LifeSouth can be made at www.redcrossblood.org and www.lifesouth.org, or by visiting a blood drive event in the community.