Officials at Tomah Health and Versiti Blood Center know the holidays are important, but also know this time of the year is difficult for blood donations.
“Donations are statistically lower during the holidays, primarily due to increase travel,” said Versiti Blood Center account representative Emalea Cogdill. “Maintaining a stable and ready blood supply is critical when donations are low but the chance of blood usage increases.”
Tomah Health and Versiti are holding a two-day blood drive Nov. 29 & 30 from noon – 5 p.m. at Tomah’s Recreation Park, 1625 Butts Ave. “Giving blood at the Tomah Health Blood Drive Nov. 29 or 30 will assure patients receive the treatment they need and local families have a happier, healthier holiday season,” Cogdill added.
To donate blood, a person must be in good health, at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and have photo identification. Sixteen-year-olds may also donate with parental consent. While the process for whole blood donation usually takes about one hour, the blood collection itself is usually about 10 minutes.
Cogdill said area donations are vital since Versiti is the sole supplier of blood to nearly 50 hospitals in Wisconsin including Tomah Health. “Every two seconds, someone needs lifesaving blood to survive. While medical technology has provided many lifesaving discoveries over the years, there still is no substitute for blood, making it essential to hospitals every day of the year,” said Cogdill. “The need for blood never ends but during this busy time of year, donations greatly decrease.”
The November drive is the final one for Tomah Health this year. “We are extremely thankful to the Tomah Parks & Recreation Dept., for continued use of Recreation Park for our drives in 2022,” said Tomah Health marketing & public relations director Eric Prise.
To Schedule a Blood Donation Time Nov. 29, CLICK HERE
To Schedule a Blood Donation Time Nov. 30, CLICK HERE
