Bleed Blue Blood Drive

The central Indiana blood supply was called critically low earlier this month by the State Department of Health. Even though the shortage is no longer critical, the holidays are typically a time when donations are low.
To help boost donations, the Indiana Blood Center (www.indianablood.org) is running a promotion that kicks off today, December 14, through January 15, 2011. The Bleed Blue Blood Drive starts at the home of the Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, and will continue for the month long promotion at the nine donor centers and mobile drives. Additional mobile drives will be announced December 14th.

“We expect to have 2000, potentially 2200 donors at Lucas Oil Stadium,” Wendy Mehringer, Director of PR and Marketing with the Indiana Blood Center said. “We need 500 [units] a day, so that’s about 4 days worth. We hope the donations continue for the month.”

About 75% of the Indiana Blood Center’s donations come from mobile blood drives that are held at places of employment, schools, and churches. Around 5% of the population donates blood, “so it’s not much,” Mehringer stated. “That includes people who have donated just one time in years. Ideally, we’d see people give four times a year, but we know that’s a lot to ask.”

“If we saw everyone twice a year, then we’d never have a critical shortage or low supply,” said Mehringer.

There are two donor centers in Hamilton County, one in Fishers at 7458 E. Fishers Station Dr., (317) 576-9680, and one in Carmel at The Boardwalk Shoppes, 726 Adams Street, Suite 150, (317) 844-0313.

There are three upcoming mobile blood drives in Noblesville: December 16: Taylored Systems, Inc. Bloodmobile 14701 Cumberland Road #100 from 2:30-4:30 PM, December 17: Taylored Systems, Inc. Bloodmobile, 14701 Cumberland Road #100 from 8:30-10:30 AM, and January 4: Riverview Hospital Bloodmobile, 395 Westfield Road from 2-7PM. Additional area bloodmobiles can be found at www.donorpoint.org.