Macomb Blood Drive Enters Donors to Win $500 Gas Card

Those needing a little more incentive to face an American Red Cross needle may find it Thursday at Macomb Township's blood drive where one lucky donor will walk away with a $500 gas card.

With 50,000 fewer donations than expected in June, the Red Cross reports its blood supply has reached emergency levels. Due partially to the early summer and a lack of scheduled blood drives, this shortfall leaves the nonprofit with half the readily available blood products on hand now than this time last year.

“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. Of that, the Southeastern Michigan Blood Services Region must collect approximately 900 pints per day,” said Diane E. Ward, CEO of the American Red Cross Southeastern Michigan Blood Services Region, serving Macomb, Oakland, Wayne, Washtenaw and St. Clair counties. “We need donors to make appointments in the coming days and weeks to help us ensure that all patient blood needs can be met. Each pint of whole blood can help save more than one life.”

All blood types are needed, but especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative in order to meet patient demand this summer.

Macomb Township's Town Hall will host a drive Thursday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. To encourage participation, all those who attempt to donate will be entered to win a $500 gas card. Town Hall is located at 54111 Broughton Rd., just off 25 Mile Road, east of Romeo Plank Road.

Call 1-800-733-2767 to schedule an appointment or visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code "macombctr."

Be sure to bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate.