The Community Blood Center relies on about 1,500 donors a week to ensure it can meet demand.
Kris Belanger is grateful for the thousands of people who donate blood through the CBC. But the CBC Operations Vice President and COO knows that for every person that does donate, there’s plenty of people that have never given.
“What I would say to those people is that it is just so simple. Takes about an hour of you time. Most people are eligible. More people than ever before are eligible to donate blood. And the feeling you get after you do it, you know you’ve really made a difference, a meaningful difference in someone else life. That’s priceless,” said Belanger.
Right now, there is a nationwide blood supply shortage.
Belanger says the CBC has still been able to meet demand, but they’re feeling the impact of the shortage.
On top of that issue that has been going on for more than a year now, summer is traditionally a hard time on the blood supply.
People tend to get in more accidents this time of year driving up the need for blood. At the same time, people are busier and traveling and less likely to make a blood donation.
It’s one the reason why Belanger hopes to get a good turnout for the MASH Blood Drive in Rhinelander this Thursday.
“These MASH Blood Drives have really become community events. It’s fun because we do these all over the state of Wisconsin. Each one is a little different. It definitely has the flavor of the local community. We’ve been doing this in Rhinelander for nearly 15 years, have great support of this. Really it highlights the important work that the Community Blood Center does in the communities with the hospitals and patients that we serve but it also celebrates the blood donors,” said Belanger.
The blood drive is from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Hodag Dome.
Belanger says they’re stilling looking for another 40 to 50 blood donors.
You can sign up for a time slot online at communityblood.orgor by calling 1-800-280-4102.
There is also another MASH Blood Drive in Merrill at the Northwoods Veterans Post on August 4th.
