Blood drive Wednesday at YMCA in Cupertino

Donating blood saves lives and is a great way to give back to the community. And you never know – you or a family member could require a blood donation in the future and will need to support and help of volunteer donors too.

Blood donations are always in high demand, particularly for the rarer types in our population. While any and all blood types are welcome, organizers say Type O is particularly helpful as O- blood is universal and can be given to any recipient, regardless of their blood type. It is also most often used for trauma and pediatric patients.

“Summer is a particularly difficult time for blood donations because appointments to donate often drop during the summer months because schools are out and families are often traveling. The need for blood, however, never takes time off,” said Stanford Blood Center’s Elisa Manzanares about the upcoming event.

To assist in building up the region’s blood supply, Northwest YMCA in Cupertino is joining with Stanford Blood Center for a donation event this Wednesday, August 21. Donors will receive a coupon for a free sandwich from Jersey Mike’s.

Openings for donation are from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Northwest YMCA site, 20803 Alves Dr. Walk-in donations are welcome but you can make an appointment by calling 888-723-7831 or by visiting the Stanford Blood Center website here.

Manzanares continued, “All it takes is about an hour of your time, and you can help save the lives of up to three patients with a single donation.”

If you plan to donate blood, prepare by eating well and staying hydrated. In order to donate you will need a donor ID card or a state-issued photo ID.

Not sure if you are able to donate blood? Click here to check eligibility rules.