By Adam Stewart
An American Red Cross blood drive started Friday at Park Place Christian Church and will continue Monday through Wednesday at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hutchinson.
As of Friday afternoon, there are 163 of 348 appointments still available across the three days, Tiffany Davison with the Red Cross said. They do accept walk-ins but encourage people to make appointments to minimize wait times. Donors can make an appointment at redcrossblood.org or through the blood donor app, both using the keyword “Hutchinson.”
The goal for the remaining three days is 225 donations, Davison said.
Blood donors can get a $15 e-gift card to certain businesses, and they can get A1C testing on their successful donation if they haven’t had one in the previous 12 months. A1C tests are commonly used to screen for prediabetes and diabetes. Volunteers will also serve meals at the blood drive.
The blood drive continues from noon to 6:30 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, all at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 407 E. 12th Ave. Davison encouraged donors to take note of the different location. Blood drives in Hutchinson are usually at First Presbyterian Church.
Donors should bring a donor card or government-issued photo ID, as well as a parental consent form if 16 years old, and avoid wearing clothing that has sleeves that can’t be raised above the elbow. To have the easiest time donating, the Red Cross also encourages donors to get a good night’s sleep, drink plenty of fluids and eat something within two or three hours before donating.
After donating blood, donors must wait at least 56 days before donating again. Donors must also meet height and weight requirements.
This blood drive also has appointments available for Power Red donations, which count as two units of blood. In a Power Red donation, the donor’s red blood cells are separated from the plasma and platelets, which are returned to their bloodstream.
After a Power Red donation, donors must wait 112 days to give again. The Red Cross says donors with type O negative or positive, A negative, or B negative blood are good candidates for Power Red donations, but encourages A positive or B positive donors to give whole blood. The height and weight requirements for Power Red donations are higher than for whole blood donations.