UD Blood Drive Helps Red Cross Replenish Low Supplies

The temperatures outside may be blistering, but that didn’t stop dozens of Upper Dublin residents from saving lives on Thursday afternoon.

They did so by donating blood during a drive hosted by the American Red Cross in what has become a biannual event at the Upper Dublin Township building. Although it may not be as dramatic as a rescue operation, the end result is still saved lives.

In fact, according to Red Cross officials, each pint of blood can be separated into three parts: platelets, plasma and red blood cells. This means that for each pint, three lives could theoretically be saved. Not bad, when multiplied by how many donors showed up to the drive.

“Our goal is 70 [people and pints],” said head nurse Angela Generose, who oversaw the event. “It looks like with the amount of sign-ups and amount of people [walking in] that we will get our 70—that we will reach our goal.”

Generose brought eight staff members and a truck full of supplies with her to the event, which ran from noon until 5 p.m. and converted a meeting room in the township building into a miniature drive center. She barely had a moment to speak during the peak afternoon hours, as each patient table was occupied by a donor, with a line awaiting in chairs.

Asked if this was a sign the event was successful despite the heat, Generose smiled. “Absolutely,” she said.

The event marks the second successful drive for the American Red Cross at the township building in the past year. The first was a “Holiday Blood Drive” held in mid-December, which drew over 50 residents in what is typically a slow season.

The drive comes during a crucial time for the American Red Cross, as the organization has publicly stated that supplies have dropped to “critically low” levels.

In fact, in May and June, donations for the organization were at the lowest levels seen during that time frame in over a dozen years, according to the ACR’s website.

“This has been an especially busy year for the Red Cross, as we’ve given help and hope to people affected by deadly tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and other storms, said Shaun Gilmore, president of Red Cross Biomedical services, on the organization’s website.

Hopefully, the American Red Cross will find enough donors to meet its summer goals and replenish its supplies. If it does, Upper Dublin residents can count themselves as part of the solution.