SIDNEY — The Senior Center of Sidney-Shelby County is partnering with Community Blood Center to host a St. Valentine’s Day community blood drive Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 304 S. West Ave.
Everyone who registers to donate will receive the “Blood Donor” knit beanie as a warm “thank you” gift. Appointments can be scheduled online at www.DonorTime.com or by calling 800-388-GIVE.
The cozy knit beanie is dark charcoal with “Blood Donor” in a blue-striped band and topped off with a speckled gray pom-pom. It’s free to everyone who registers to donate with CBC now through Feb. 24 at a CBC Donor Center or most CBC mobile blood drives.
With the cold winter and severe flu season, CBC has been especially cautious about maintaining the regional blood supply. CBC urges those who must miss a donation appointment to reschedule as soon as possible.
CBC is also focusing on recruiting more 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 on 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.
