Red Cross needs help with "extremely low summer blood supply"

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The American Red Cross is seeking help from South Carolina citizens in an effort to replenish an "extremely low summer blood supply."

According to the Red Cross, blood donations have fallen seriously short in the past few months, resulting in about 39,000 fewer donations than what they need so far this year.

Officials say the summer months are also a peak time for when hospitals need blood.

"Of course accidents and sometimes surgeries, people need blood donations for surgeries, cancer patient need blood donations and a person can use multiple donations during one surgery," Cheryl Austin with the Red Cross said.

To combat this, the Red Cross has set up several blood donation opportunities from July 5 to July 25:

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; closed Sunday.

• Martin
  • 7/14/2016: 7 a.m. - 12 p.m., Archroma, 788 Chert Quarry Road

• Camden
  • 7/16/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 1709 Lyttleton St.
  • 7/21/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Heritage Community Bank, 2220 West Dekalb St.
  • 7/22/2016: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Bank of America, 200 Dekalb St.

• Cayce-West Columbia
  • 7/22/2016: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community, One Still Hopes Drive

• 7/16/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 246 St  Pauls Church Road

• 7/6/2016: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Lexington County Sheriff's Department, 521 Gibson Road
• 7/8/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Lexington County Fire Service, 436 Ball Park Road
• 7/18/2016: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church, 5503 Sunset Blvd.
• 7/23/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Boiling Springs United Methodist Church, 2373 Calks Ferry Road
• 7/25/2016: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church, 1205 Old Cherokee Road

• 7/17/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Brookland Baptist Church, 1066 Sunset Blvd.

• Blythewood
  • 7/20/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Department of Motor Vehicles, 10311 Wilson Blvd.

• 7/7/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Health and  Human Services, 1801 Main St.
• 7/7/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Seibels, 1501 Lady St.
• 7/11/2016: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., SC Probation, Parole & Pardon Services, 2221 Devine St.
• 7/13/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., State Credit Union, 800 Huger St.
• 7/14/2016: 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., Spring Valley Presbyterian Church, 125 Sparkleberry Lane
• 7/19/2016: 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., American Spiralweld, 2061 American Italian Way
• 7/20/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Meridian Building/Morgan Stanley, 1320 Main Street, Ste. 800
• 7/21/2016: 8:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Merrill Lynch, 1224 Sumter St.
• 7/21/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Cummins Atlantic, 2791 Shop Road Extension
• 7/21/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital, 2935 Colonial Drive
• 7/22/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Rice Home, 100 Finley Road

• 7/17/2016: 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m., Lebanon United Methodist Church, 10220 Garners Ferry Road

• 7/23/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Mt Olive Lutheran Church, 1541 Lake Murray Blvd.
• 7/24/2016: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., New Life Community Church, 10809 Broad River Road

Sumter

• 7/5/2016: 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., YMCA of Sumter, 510 Miller Road

There are a number of ways to schedule a blood donation if you'd like to help. To get started simply call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit RedCrosBlood.org.

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