JACKSON, Wyo. — Jacksonites will have two opportunities to donate blood next week.
The Jackson Community Blood Drive will be held on Wednesday, April 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a reprise on Thursday, April 18, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Both events will take place at the Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church.
Donors can win one of 20 gift cards for more than $400 through Vitalant, which operates the blood drives. Appointments can be made online at vitalant.org. Walk-ins are also welcome.
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. For plasma, type AB can be transfused to all blood types, and only 4% of people in the U.S. have type AB blood.
