Blood shortage declared as plea for help goes out

A blood shortage emergency has been declared by the Community Blood Center of Kansas City, Kansas.

The center says there is an urgent need for blood donations after a busy Labor Day weekend.

A spokesman for the organization says the blood supply is not meeting the minimum threshold that they like to keep in case of an emergency requiring larger amounts of blood transfusions than normal.

Have type O negative blood? How about B negative? Great. Those are needed most but all blood types are welcome according to the spokesman.

There are numerous mobile sites being set up and blood may also be donated at the Community Blood Center office.

Some of the upcoming blood drives listed on the Community Blood Center’s website include:

• Sept. 17, from 2 to 6 p.m., Christ the King Catholic Church basement, 3024 N. 53rd St., Kansas City, Kansas.
• Sept. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sporting Kansas City, One Sporting Way, Kansas City, Kansas.
• Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Kansas City, Kansas Community College, Room 2325, Jewell Center, 7250 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
• Sept. 26, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., Bonner Springs YMCA, Classroom A, 2251 S. 138th St., Bonner Springs.
• Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Providence Medical Center, auditorium rooms, 8929 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas.
• Oct. 5, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sumner Academy, new gym, 1610 N. 8th St., Kansas City, Kansas.
• Oct. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Kansas City Kansas Community College Burke Technical Education Center, Multipurpose Room 2, 6565 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

To schedule an appointment or get more information on where to donate or how to set up a drive, visit www.savealifenow.org or call 1-877-468-6844.

Too far to drive to Wyandotte County to donate? Just call your local community blood center. There’s never a bad time to donate blood.

–Metro Voice