A much-needed summer gift
Published 12:01 am Tuesday, July 5, 2011
It can be tough waking up on the morning after the Fourth of July. Even if your own personal celebration was safe and sane, you may not have escaped the rowdy behavior of neighbors who can’t seem to enjoy our country’s independence without igniting noisy fire crackers, cherry bombs and bottle rockets late into the night.
Shaking off the celebratory cobwebs may require another cup of coffee and some extra quiet time this morning, but the staff at the Puget Sound Blood Center can’t afford to ease into their day. They face an enormous challenge during the summer months to meet the constant demand for a consistent blood supply.
To complicate their efforts, they need to overcome a seasonal 20 percent drop in donations — school-based community blood drives generate lots of donors. Factor in a 20 percent increase in trauma cases during the summer and you begin to understand the magnitude of the challenge.
Some 900 donors are needed every weekday just to keep this essential resource at stable levels and meet the regional demand.
This problem isn’t unique to our area, as blood supplies reached “critical” status in a number of states over the holiday weekend — particularly for Type O negative blood, which can be administered to any patient experiencing a trauma situation.
Thankfully, blood banks are working hard to entice folks to donate by offering incentives beyond their genuine heartfelt appreciation and the traditional glass of juice and cookies at the popular cantinas. Locally, the Puget Sound Blood Center is hoping to encourage both regular and first-time donors by offering an incentive tied to their “Give Twice” campaign, which encourages donors to give blood once between now and Aug. 6 and to donate a second time before Oct. 1 (making sure to leave the required 56-day interval between donations). Those who meet the “give-twice” criteria will be rewarded with a unique cookbook filled with personal recipes from Blood Center volunteers and staffers, as well as submissions from chefs representing top local restaurants.
In addition, donating blood is going more high-tech. By the middle of this month, the Puget Sound Blood Center will have switched to a nearly paperless donation process. Donors will fill out the required questionnaire on a computer tablet, tapping a screen to provide answers rather than filling in bubbles with a pen. Cool, huh?
Snohomish County is served by two centers — one in Everett (2703 Oakes Ave.) and one in Lynnwood (19723 Highway 99, Suite F). To schedule an appointment to donate or to find an off-site community drive that might be more convenient, contact the Puget Sound Blood Center at 1-800-398-7888 or visit its website at at www.psbc.org.
