People urged to sign up early for Chinook July blood drive

By Carla Jenewein

Chinook Red Cross blood drive coordinator

Appointments for the July 20 blood drive in Chinook are highly encouraged by the Red Cross. However, the Red Cross does realize that an appointment is not always possible.  

Due to the difficulty at the past two drives to accommodate walk-ins, there has been communication between myself and the Senior Donor Recruitment Rep at American Red Cross in Great Falls. He has informed me that they have added staff to our blood drive scheduled here in Chinook July 20 so that those walking in can donate. We will be giving the walk-in donors the option of waiting until we can see them or having them come back when there is an open time slot.

We do not want to turn any donor away. 

Due to the critical need for blood, we are asking for all blood types, but especially Group O as Group O is the Universal Donor type and can donate red blood cells to anybody.  

We do have slots still available for Power Red donations. Power Red is for type O, A negative or B negative donors; donation frequency is every 112 days, up to three times per year; you must be in good health and feeling well; male donors must be at least 17 years old in most states, at least 5’1” tall and weigh at least 130 lbs; Female donors must be at least 19 years old, at least 5’5” tall and weigh at least 150 lbs.

Red Cross says a Power Red is similar to a whole blood donation, except a special machine is used to allow people to safely donate two units of red blood cells during one donation while returning their plasma and platelets to them.

The drive is open for scheduling so please go to http://redcross.org to schedule your appointment. It is never too early.

Red Cross also gave a pandemic update.

“As more and more people have become vaccinated and the number of COVID-19 cases are significantly reduced, we have reached an important milestone in the battle against the pandemic. We are so very grateful that our country has reached a point where we can begin to alleviate some of the burdens that COVID-19 has placed on all of us,” Red Cross said.

“The Red Cross has updated its pandemic safety protocols in alignment with CDC and OSHA guidance. Here’s what you need to know:

• Fully vaccinated individuals including staff and blood donors will no longer need to wear face masks or socially distance beginning May 21.

• Unvaccinated individuals will continue to be required to wear face masks and socially distance. We encourage donors to bring their own face mask that covers both their nose and mouth. If a donor does not have a mask, we will provide one. If a donor does not want to wear a mask, we ask they postpone their donation for a later date.

• If your location requires face masks, the Red Cross will adhere to more stringent face mask requirements. Please notify your Red Cross Account Manager at least 72 hours before your next blood drive if face masks will be required.

• In addition, where state and/or local guidance is more stringent than the most recent CDC guidelines, we will follow the more stringent state or local guidelines.

• Proof of vaccination will not be a requirement. We trust that our blood donors will provide honest responses — it’s what our eligibility process is built upon. We will continue to rely on the honesty of our blood donors when it comes to COVID-19 vaccination and face masks.

“At each blood drive, Red Cross staff continues to follow the highest standards of safety and infection control. Our commitment to operate blood drives in the safest way possible for our donors, volunteers and staff remains a top priority.”

We are looking forward to seeing you in Chinook Tuesday, July 20.