Let’s Save Some Lives on July 10

Linda Shannon-Hills

On Saturday, July 10, SBR will roll up our sleeves and help save lives as a proud partner with the American Red Cross. The blood drive will be held in the Ranch House Ballroom between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. You can register to donate at www.redcrossblood.org. Enter the ZIP code 85623, then scroll down to our drive.

Each pint of blood we collect can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more. What a great way to pay it forward and make an impact on people in our community and across the country.

Each month, we have been increasing the number of donations as well as increasing the number of new donors. Residents are so appreciative of having the blood drives so close to home and to be able to help others in need.

To make donating and tracking your blood donations easier, consider downloading the Red Cross app. Go to your app store and search for the Red Cross Blood Donor App. The app is free, plus it provides so much information about your donations such as when, where, and how much you have donated; it provides your digital donor card to use as ID when donating; and includes the RAPIDpass which you can do before you donate to speed up the health history process before donating. You can also see your medical statistics from your last blood donation for blood pressure, hemoglobin level (iron), and pulse. It is so easy to use.

Whole blood donations are the most popular way to donate, but have you ever considered a Power Red donation? Power Red is like a whole blood donation, except a special machine is used to allow you to safely donate two units of red blood cells during one donation. The machine separates and collects two units of red cells and then safely returns the remaining blood components, along with some saline, back to you through the same arm.

You may already know about the ongoing need for blood and the importance of your blood donations. Whole blood donations contain red blood cells, platelets, plasma, and white blood cells. Red blood cells are the most frequently used blood component and are needed by almost every type of patient requiring transfusion. If you meet certain criteria, a Power Red donation allows you to safely donate two units of red cells during one appointment as an automated donation process. It is as safe as a whole blood donation.

Save time and make your blood donation go further: If you are extremely busy, committed to donating blood, and an eligible type O, A negative or B negative donor, Power Red may be ideal for you.

Maximize your impact and schedule a Power Red donation today!