JOHNSTOWN – The American Red Cross Greater Alleghenies Blood Services Region is experiencing a shortage of all blood types; area residents can respond to appeals at ARC blood drives this week in Clearfield County.
The visits are tomorrow Tuesday at Ridgeview Elder Care and Rehabilitation Center in Curwensville from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday at the DuBois Veterans of Foreign Wars post from 1-7 p.m.
The DuBois bloodmobile will offer donors the chance to give double reds via a process that takes twice the normal amount of red blood cells yet the same volume of fluid.
Special eligibility requirements are that men must be at least 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weigh at least 150 pounds while women must be at least 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weight a minimum of 175 pounds. Blood iron levels must be at least 40 percent.
According to GAR spokeswoman Marianne Spampinato, “Currently there is less than a two-day supply of blood types O positive and AB negative and less than a one-day supply of O negative and B negative in our 100-county region.”
Through Sept. 30, donors will receive a T-shirt and a chance to win a 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the Keep the Motor Runnin’ campaign to increase collections through the summer months, Spampinato noted.
For donor eligibility questions, call 800-54-BLOOD.