State Reps. Kathy Kennedy (R-119) and Charles Ferraro (R-117) will be co-hosting a blood drive on Sunday, Feb. 16 in conjunction with the American Red Cross at the High Plains Community Center in Orange.
The event , which is free and open to the public, will take place from noon to 5 p.m. in the gymnasium. HPPC is located at 525 Orange Center Rd.
The lawmakers are co-hosting the drive after the American Red Cross declared a national blood crisis at the start of 2022, saying it is facing its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. The blood shortage is threatening patient care and forcing doctors to make tough choices about who is able to receive blood transfusions.
In recent weeks, the Red Cross – which provides 40 percent of the nation’s blood – has had less than a one-day supply of critical blood types and has had to limit blood product distributions to hospitals.
According to the Red Cross, the entire blood donor process takes about one hour. The donation itself is only around 10 minutes on average. Restrictions due to weight, health or travel may apply and donors are urged to check their eligibility beforehand by going to redcross.org/give-blood.html or by contacting a local chapter.
Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive. You can make an appointment by visiting redcrossblood.org and using the sponsor code “OrangeCT.” Donors can also download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-733-2767 to make an appointment or for more information.