Blood need urgent at this time of the year

To the Editor:
At the time you read this letter to the editor, the Glencoe Community Blood Drive is two weeks away:  Wednesday, July 27, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Glencoe City Center Ballroom. The American Red Cross has set our goal for this drive at 131 units.
There is no fancy way to say it.  I received a direct email from the St. Paul Red Cross division with the message: “Emergency request for blood donors! The Red Cross has a significant blood shortage and is issuing an emergency request for eligible blood and platelet donors. Every donation matters, as blood is being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in.  As a valued American Red Cross partner and donor, your support is needed more than ever.”
The Red Cross notice continues:  “Eligible donors with types O, B negative or A negative blood are especially needed (and encouraged to give double red cells, if available).  Type O negative donors are an important part of the Red Cross trauma team, because it is the universal blood type and can be transfused to patients of any blood type. Eligible donors with type AB blood are especially needed to donate platelets or plasma, where available, or whole blood.”
If you are called by one of our volunteer callers, please consider making an appointment. If you have been called by one of our callers and made an appointment (or already have a July appointment made at the April blood drive), please keep the appointment.  If you have not been contacted and wish to schedule an appointment, please call our Scheduling Coordinator Nelda Klaustermeier at 320-864-3475 to find an open time slot. We are in short supply of eligible double red donors for this July drive (those who can give a “double dose”), so if you are able to give a double red, please call Nelda and make an appointment.
Each unit that we collect can help up to three patients who need this gift of life. Your donation can give hope to hospital patients in your community, including accident victims, heart surgery patients and those receiving treatment for cancer or sickle cell disease. Summer is a slow time for donations, and blood drives typically come up far short of their goals. The need this summer is urgent — please consider donating.  Thank you.
P.S.  reminder: Appointments always have priority over walk-ins.
Charleen Engelmann,
Coordinator
Glencoe Community
Blood Drive