Marion-area Blood Drives Announced for April

The American Red Cross will conduct open blood drives at the following Marion County locations this month:

• 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 5, LaRue Community Drive (Hall),) 217 North High Street, LaRue
• Noon to 6 p.m., Monday, April 7, Marion Public Library (Bus), 445 East Church Street
• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, April 10, American Legion Harold L. Bradley Post 584 (Bingo Hall), 142 Olney Avenue
• Noon to 6 p.m., Friday, April 11, Marion General Hospital (Marion and Morrow Rooms Lower Level), 1000 McKinley Park Drive
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, April 11, MARCA Marion County Developmental Disabled (Gym), 2387 Harding Highway East
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, OSU Marion and Marion Tech (Room 111 A), Rt. 95 1465 Mt. Vernon Avenue
• 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 26, Waldo Community St. Paul Lutheran (Main Dining), 135 West Main Street, LaRue

Appointments for most drives may be arranged by calling, toll-free, 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). As an alternative, you may book your own appointment for many drives online at www.redcrossblood.org. You may also ask the Marion County Chapter for assistance with setting appointments. Call 740-725-9141, Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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

CiCi’s Pizza of Marion continues to reward 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.

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.

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.

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. Donors under age 19 may have to meet additional weight requirements, depending on gender and height. 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), please call the American Red Cross Donor Suitability unit, toll-free, at 866-426-0922.