Hurricane Sandy has already caused the cancellations of 300 blood drives along the East Coast, resulting in a shortfall of 4,000 units of blood and platelets.
To meet the heightened need, Waccamaw Community Hospital is holding a blood drive Friday, Nov. 2, at Wachesaw Conference Center.
Employees can donate blood from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. in Conference Room 1A and 1B. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments take priority.
To schedule your appointment you can call 843-652-1135 or register online at www.redcrossblood.org, and enter sponsor code WaccamawHosp.
In addition to having a valid ID, blood donors must be healthy, be at least 17 years old and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds.
Wachesaw Conference Center is located at 4367 Riverwood Drive, 29576, across the street from Waccamaw Community Hospital.
Every day, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 pints of blood for patients at more than 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion.
Here are some tips on how to get the word out there:
- Promote on social media outlets - Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Get the word out through all communication channels - email, newsletters, bulletin boards, stuffers, etc.
- Ask your regular donors to recruit a friend to donate
- Send appointment reminders to donors who are scheduled to donate
If a donor cannot keep a scheduled appointment, please encourage the donor to call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or visit redcrossblood.org to find another blood donation opportunity.
