JACKSON, Wyo. — The Jackson Community Blood Drive is Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 16 and 17, at the Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church.

On Wednesday the blood drive is open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Thursday it’s open from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets”

American Red Cross

Vitalant Blood Donation is hosting the drive and appointments are being taken ahead of time to expedite the process. Appointments and health history questionnaires are available here.

According to the American Red Cross, approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U. S. and every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood and/or platelets. Nearly 5,000 units of platelets and 6,500 units of plasma are needed daily in the U.S.

Always in demand, Type O negative red cells can be given to patients of all blood types, but only 7% of people in the U.S. are type O negative, so it is often in short supply, says the Red Cross. For plasma, type AB can be transfused to all blood types and only 4% of people in the U.S. have type AB blood.

Lindsay is a contributing reporter covering a little bit of everything; with an interest in local policies and politics, the environment and amplifying community voices. She's curious about uncovering the "whys" of our region and aims to inform the community about the issues that matter. In her free time, you can find her snowboarding, cooking or planning the next surf trip.