Press release:
The American Red Cross will conduct a blood drive at United Memorial Medical Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, July 29. The mobile unit will be in front of the hospital at 127 North St., Batavia.
There is an urgent need for blood donors to offset shortages incurred in summer months and for type O negative donors. Donations in June were down by over 50,000 nationally.
All presenting donors at the blood drive on July 29th will receive a free gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts. Appointments may be made by calling (585) 344-4474. Walk-ins are welcome.
Generally to be eligible to donate, individuals must be 17 years of age or older, healthy and weigh at least 110 pounds. On the day of the donation, the American Red Cross recommends drinking an extra 16 ounce glass of water before and after the donation. They also suggest eating a healthy meal, avoiding high fat foods, before donating.
For the appointment (walk-ins are welcome) bring a driver’s license or two other forms of identification and a list of any current medications. After registration, presenting donors will have their blood pressure, temperature, pulse and hemoglobin measured. They will also be asked for a brief health history and asked about their travels to foreign countries.
The donation process itself usually lasts 8-10 minutes, but can be longer based on the donation. After donating, refreshments are provided. The entire process usually takes less than an hour to complete.
People can donate multiple times but must wait eight weeks/56 days between donations of whole blood.
