Blood Drives

Give so that others may live…

January is National Blood Donor Awareness month, and the YMCA is honoring our 160-year history with our friends and allies at the Red Cross by celebrating blood donors, and recruiting new ones! Many YMCA branches host regular blood drives, so if your New Year’s Resolution was to get your blood pumping, or to do more to give back, donating blood is a great way to go.

Visit a branch below during one of our blood drives or click the button below to find a blood drive near you.

Did you know?

• Your single donation could save 3 lives.

  • Whole blood donations get separated into red cells, platelets, and plasma, and each component can save someone with a different emergency.

• There is no substitute for blood.

  • Every drop of blood a patient gets comes from a person who was willing to give.

• Someone needs blood every 2 seconds.

  • Beyond saving lives of trauma victims in the E.R. your donation could help patients with cancer, sickle cell disease, anemia, immunologic deficiencies, bleeding disorders, or serious infections. Every single recipient will be deeply grateful for your donation.

• Beat Cancer. Donate Blood.

  • Almost 2 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year, and many will need blood transfusions to make it through chemotherapy. The Red Cross recently interviewed one YMCA staffer whose mother beat leukemia thanks to the generosity of blood donors.

• Only 3% of those eligible to donate give blood. The most common reasons people don’t donate are:

• • Fear of needles — Many people are afraid of needles, but remember that needle sticks are pretty quick, and your bravery can save three whole families from the ongoing fear that their loved one won’t get the blood they desperately need.
  • Too busy – The donation itself takes less than 10 minutes, and even adding in the time for check-in and health screenings, you can give blood on your lunch hour. The Red Cross also offers a “Rapid Pass” where you can answer check-in questions in advance to save yourself some wait time.
  • My blood isn’t useful – If you’re eligible to give, we promise someone out there needs your blood. Type O is always in high demand, both because it’s the most common blood type in the U.S., and the “O” indicates that the red cells are clear of antigens that can cause a negative immune response. But even rare blood types, like AB, are also important because they are universal plasma donors. Your donation matters.