Lots of Opportunities to Donate Blood in June

The American Red Cross will conduct open blood drives at the following Marion County sites during June:

• Thursday, June 10, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., American Legion Post 584, 142 Olney Ave.
• Friday June 11, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Marion Recreation Center, 240 W. Church St. This drive is sponsored by JOG (Jobs for Ohio's Graduates).
• Tuesday, June 15, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Cornerstone Alliance Church, 2010 Marion-Marysville Rd.
• Wednesday, June 16, Noon – 6 p.m., Marion Christian Center, 1550 Richland Rd.
• Friday, June 18, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Marion Industrial Center, 3007 Harding Hwy. E., Building 203 (conference room). Donors use complex entrance C.
• Saturday, June 19, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Green Camp Twp. complex, 2784 Prospect-Upper Sandusky Rd. S. This drive is sponsored by the Green Camp Twp. Fire Dept.
• Friday, June 25, 1 – 7 p.m., Knights of Columbus Council Hall, 1232 E. Center St.
• Friday, June 25, 1 – 7 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, 1725 Marion-Edison Rd.
• Wednesday, June 30, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Community Healthcare Center, 175 Community Dr.
• Wednesday, June 30, 1 – 7 p.m., King's Temple Apostolic Church, 285 Senate St.
• Wednesday, June 30, 1 – 7 p.m., U.S. Post Office, 230 Barks Rd. W.

All addresses are Marion unless otherwise indicated.

Appointments for most drives may be arranged by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767); follow the prompt to choose your preferred language, then choose option 4 to make an appointment to give blood. As an alternative, you may book your own appointment for many drives online at www.redcrossblood.org. The Marion County Chapter can also assist with setting appointments. Call 740-725-9141, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

Donors who are on time for appointments will be given priority at all drives. Donors with appointments who arrive other than at their scheduled times and walk-ins will be welcomed whenever openings in the schedule permit.

CiCi's Pizza of Marion in the University Forum shopping center rewards every Marion County blood donor with a coupon for a free 7" personal "Pizza to Go." Contact the restaurant at 740-386-2191 for complete details.

During June, blood donors signing in at drives throughout the 27-county Central Ohio Region can enter a free drawing for a Lowe's gift card. Each week, one donor from the local region will win a $100 Lowe's card. At the end of this period, one donor will win a grand prize: a $1,000 shopping spree from Lowe's.

The Central Ohio Region of the Red Cross encompasses 27 counties – including Marion County – and assists patients at 41 area hospitals. The region needs approximately 650 donors daily to maintain the supply.

Every two seconds someone in America needs blood. Blood transfusions are used for trauma victims, heart surgery, organ transplants, women suffering from complications of childbirth, and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, sickle cell disease, cancer and other serious conditions.

Under normal circumstances, a donor can give one unit of whole blood every 56 days (8 weeks) or double red cells every 112 days (16 weeks).

Individuals who are at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in Ohio), who weigh at least 110 pounds, and who are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate.

If you have questions about your eligibility to give blood (such as medications you may be taking, your health history, or the height and weight requirements for donors under 19), call the Donor Suitability unit at 1-866-426-0922.