SIDNEY — The Sidney Apostolic Temple will host a community blood drive Thursday, Feb. 8, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 210 S. Pomeroy Ave. Those who sign up to donate will receive a free “Blood Donor” knit beanie. Schedule an appointment with Community Blood Center online at www.DonorTime.com or call 800-388-GIVE.
The knit beanie is dark charcoal with “Blood Donor” and the CBC blood drop in a light gray and blue-striped band, topped off with a speckled gray pom-pom. It’s free to everyone who registers to donate with CBC through Feb. 24 at a CBC Donor Center or most CBC mobile blood drives.
Severe weather and seasonal illness makes winter a challenging time for maintaining the regional blood supply. CBC stresses that if you must miss an appointment to donate, reschedule as soon as possible.
CBC enters 2018 with the additional challenge of building a new community of dedicated platelet and plasma donors. The automated process of giving platelets and plasma is called “apheresis” and the number of these special donors is dwindling. CBC’s most dedicated donors are aging, with about 53 percent of the donor base now over the age of 50.
CBC is calling for young people to become the “next generation of donors” and asking new and current donors to help CBC meet the challenges of the future by becoming apheresis donors.
