Give Blood, Give Life

American Red Cross Blood Services

Blood donors are everyday people with a desire to give back to their community. They are high school students, business executives and everyone in between-people with a generous spirit, whose gift means life to patients in need.

Whether at a blood drive in a community or at a donation center in the city, every blood donor plays an integral role in the delivery of modern healthcare. Many diseases, surgeries and conditions require blood transfusions in order for treatments to be successful and recovery to be possible. Because each unit of blood is separated into three components - red cells, platelets and plasma - each donation can help to save up to three lives.

The need for blood is constant. On average, just 5 percent of eligible individuals donate blood despite that 95 percent of Americans will need blood at some point in their lives.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible donors can call 1.800.GIVE.LIFE or go online to givebloodgivelife.org to learn more about blood donation and to make a blood donation appointment. A blood donor card or driver's license are required at check-in. Donors must be at least 17 years old and must weigh at least 110 pounds.

Hospitals Served

The Minnesota Red Cross Blood Services region serves 109 hospitals: 85 in Minnesota - including the Mayo Clinic, Fairview Health Systems and Allina Hospitals & Clinics - 23 in Wisconsin and one in South Dakota.

About Red Cross Blood Services

The Mid-America Division of the American Red Cross supplies blood products to nearly 250 hospitals in 10 states and across the nation. We rely on the generosity of more than 800,000 volunteer blood donors, nearly 6,200 blood drive coordinators and more than 1,800 employees to collect the blood that helps save thousands of lives each year. The Division's regional offices are located in St. Paul, Minnesota; Madison, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska; and Peoria, Illinois.

The Mid-America Division is one of 10 Red Cross Blood Services Divisions located across the United States. Together, these divisions provide nearly one half of the blood needed each year to treat patients across the nation-about 6 million units.