Share Oregon holiday spirit by donating blood

As Oregonians get swamped with holiday chores, travel and winter weather, some may not take the time to donate blood like they normally would. You may not realize that it takes about 1,000 donors a day just to maintain a healthy blood supply for hospitals in the state, according to the American Red Cross Cascades Region, which covers Oregon and Southwestern Washington.

Isabel Anderson, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross, said the blood supplies overall are stable for now, but the “O positive” blood supply is dwindling.

“That’s really important because it’s the most-used blood type in hospitals,” Andersen explained. “We’re really looking for people of all blood types, but especially if you have that ‘O positive’ blood type, we’d love for you to come in, roll up your sleeve and donate.”

She said O positive is the blood type most needed because it is the most common, found in nearly 40% of the population. People with that blood type are able to donate blood that can be given to all ‘positive’ blood types – meaning it can be used for more than 80% of people.

Even though most Oregonians are eligible to donate blood, only about 3% do. Anderson said the process only takes about an hour, and suggested making it a holiday tradition to go with friends or family, to make it more fun.

“It’s really so simple and easy, and very quick,” Anderson added. “There are 744 hours in December. Can you give us one – to donate blood and help save lives?”

She said with the Red Cross app, a donor can even track where their blood donation ends up. To find a local blood drive, you can visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter your ZIP Code for a list of blood drives near you.

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