Red Cross urges blood donations ahead of July 4th holiday

(Photo by Henning Kaiser/picture alliance via Getty Images)

DOWNEY – As the Independence Day holiday approaches, the American Red Cross is urging eligible donors to schedule blood or platelet donation appointments to help maintain a stable blood supply through the summer months.

Blood donations typically decline during the summer, especially around holidays, yet the need for blood remains constant. The Red Cross emphasized an urgent need for type O blood, particularly type O negative, which is critical for emergency situations when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type.

“Making and keeping donation appointments now is critical to ensuring blood products are available for all patients – including those in trauma situations that may require several lifesaving transfusions – in the weeks to come,” the organization stated in a news release.

Residents can donate at the following locations in Downey over the next few weeks:

Saturday, June 29: St. Raymond’s Catholic Church, 12348 Paramount Blvd. (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

Monday, July 1: Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, 9333 Imperial Hwy (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.)

Wednesday, July 3: Stonewood Center, 251 Stonewood St. (1 p.m. – 7 p.m.)

Tuesday, July 9: L.A. County Internal Services & Probation HQ, 9150 Imperial Hwy (7 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

Wednesday, July 10: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 10511 Paramount Blvd. (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Appointments can be made by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

Incentives for Donors

To encourage participation, the Red Cross is offering exclusive rewards for donors. Those who give blood by June 30 will receive a $15 Amazon.com gift card via email and be entered into a sweepstakes to win one of two $7,000 gift cards.

Additionally, from July 1–14, donors will receive a pair of Red Cross x goodr sunglasses, while supplies last. Each pair includes a customizable blood type sticker.

To learn more, visit RedCrossBlood.org/goodr or RedCrossBlood.org/June.

The Red Cross encourages the public not to wait. “By donating now, you can help ensure that blood is available for patients whenever and wherever it is needed most.”