Donors needed to support blood supply; October blood drives scheduled around Lancaster County

Donations of blood and platelets are needed this fall as health care organizations fight a national shortage of blood products.

The American Red Cross, for example, is urging qualified donors to sign up as soon as possible – particularly type-O donors.

In late summer, the Red Cross says, its national blood supply dropped by about 25% on the heels of a busy travel season and the beginning of back-to-school activities.

Three health care organizations have planned blood drives around Lancaster County in September. Some are offering coupons for restaurants and entertainment, while the Red Cross is offering a $15 Amazon gift card to donors through Oct. 20.

You can visit the websites for the American Red Cross, the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank and LG Health for information on who qualifies to be a donor and for registration and tips on how to prepare to donate blood.

Here’s a list of places and times when you can donate blood during the month of October.

American Red Cross

American Red Cross donors can register and schedule a time and place to donate at RedCrossBlood.org. You can also call 800-733-2767 or download the Red Cross blood donor app.

Red Cross blood drives scheduled through the end of October include:

— Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, 750 E. King St., Lancaster, in Jones Dining Hall, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11.

— Memorial United Methodist Church, 101 S. Hess St., Quarryville, 1:30-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12.

— Calvary Church, 1051 Landis Valley Road, Lancaster, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13.

— New Holland Mennonite Church, 18 Western Ave., New Holland, 1:30-6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16.

— East Donegal Township, 190 Point Rock Road, Marietta, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21.

— Wesley United Methodist Church, 46 W. Main St., Strasburg, 1-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health

Donors may go to blood drives at various locations or can go to the donor center at the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Suburban Pavilion, 2104 Harrisburg Ave., Lancaster, from Monday through Friday.

All blood donors must schedule an appointment to donate by calling 717-544-0177 or going to LGhealth.org/giveblood. Visit the website for donor center hours.

Blood drives for the rest of October are:

— Bird-in-Hand Fire Company, 313 Enterprise Drive, Bird-in-Hand, 2-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10.

— Witmer Fire Protection Agency, 445 Mount Sydney Road, Witmer, 2-7 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 11.

— Alliance Church, 425 Cloverleaf Road, Elizabethtown, 2-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12.

— Hosanna Church, 29 Green Acre Road, Lititz, 2-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17.

— Kinzer Fire Company, 3521 Lincoln Highway, East, Kinzer, 2-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18.

— Bart Fire Company, 11 Furnace Road, Quarryville, 2-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19.

— Integrity Polls and Spa, 168 Airport Road, south of Lititz, noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24.

— Lancaster General Heath — Willow Lakes, 212 Willow Valley Lakes Drive, Willow Street, noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25.

— Faulkner Chevrolet of Lancaster, 2000 Bennet Ave., Lancaster, 1-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26.

— TEC Centro West, 57 Laurel St., Lancaster, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31.

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Central PA Blood Bank

You can donate Monday through Friday at the Lancaster Donor Center, 3027 Columbia Ave., in East Hempfield Township, or Monday through Thursday and Saturday at the Ephrata Donor Center, 446 N. Reading Road, Suite 201, Ephrata. Hours are posted on the website.

To donate to the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, donors can sign up at 717giveblood.org or call 800-771-0059.

Area blood drives through the end of October are:

— Kirkwood Community Blood Drive, 422 Maple Shade Road, Kirkwood, 5-8:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9, in the bloodmobile.

— Martindale Community Blood Drive, 527 Gristmill Road, Ephrata, in the training room, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16.

— Penn Cinema, 541 Airport Road, register in the theater lobby and donate in the bloodmobile, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18.

— Park City Center, 142 Park City Center, Lancaster, in the store space next to White House Black Market, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20.

— Garden Spot Fire Rescue, Station 1, 339 E. Main St., New Holland, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23.

— Universal Athletic Club, 2323 Oregon Pike, Lancaster, register in the lobby; the bloodmobile is in the parking lot, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24.

— Rheems Fire Department, 350 Anchor Road, Elizabethtown, in the conference room, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25.

— Oregon Dairy, 2900 Oregon Pike, southeast of Lititz, in the bloodmobile, noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27.