IPA Hosts Their 5th Annual American Red Cross Blood Drive

IPA drew a record number of contributors at its national headquarters here for its Fifth Annual American Red Cross Blood Drive, it was announced today.

More than 70 donors signed up to participate and generously contribute to the IPA effort to support the American Red Cross and individuals in need of replacement blood. Nearly 45 percent of the participants during the record IPA event last week were repeat donors. The remaining 55 percent were first time contributors. With the collected amount of blood units, IPA employees have the potential to help more than 100 people.

"On behalf of the American Red Cross and the many patients we serve, I want to thank IPA employees for their generosity," said American Red Cross Donor Recruitment Representative Adella Green. "The blood supply is critically low due to the severe weather and flooding that has devastated the midwest which has affected people’s ability to donate. IPA’s efforts will help ensure we are prepared with a stable blood supply during the summer holiday weekends."

Typically, blood supplies nationwide are at their lowest point of the year in the beginning of July with most of the country falling below a two-day supply and many below a one-day supply of blood. Blood supplies continue to be in short supply throughout the summer and more importantly, the need for blood and blood products increases.

The Red Cross is appealing to all individuals to donate blood and is particularly interested in Type O negative blood, the universal blood donor type, since it can be transfused to anyone in cases of emergencies. Anyone at least 17 years of age, weighing 110 pounds or more and in good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please call the American Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543) or log on to www.givelife.org and make an appointment today.

The American Red Cross provides nearly half of the nation’s blood supply (collecting more than 6 million units a year from volunteer donors) to patients in 3,000 hospitals across the country through its national network. Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood. The Red Cross must collect blood donations each and every day to meet the needs of accident victims, cancer patients and children with blood disorders, and the organization works to accomplish this through its 36 Blood Services regions.