WHITEFISH — The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage, facing its lowest post-summer blood donor levels in six years.
Red Cross officials say they must collect 10,000 additional blood products each week over the next month to recover a depleted blood supply.
Montana Red Cross Communications Director Matt Ochsner said blood donor turnout dropped significantly over the summer months due to a spike in COVID-19 cases leaving donors worried.
Ochsner noted the Red Cross is taking extra precautions to keep donors safe, including requiring face masks for donors and staff regardless of vaccination status and enhanced cleaning methods between blood donations.
He said giving blood takes less than one hour and a single donation can supply enough blood to save up to three lives.
“There’s so many people that count on life-saving blood every day, whether it be a cancer patient, somebody at a car crash, another accident, an expecting mom, just every day across Montana there’s so many people that count on this blood and your donation, just raising your hand and coming out for an hour really is helping save lives." - Montana Red Cross Communications Director Matt Ochsner
The easiest way to find a blood drive near you is to go to redcrossblood.org and enter your zip code.
Upcoming blood donation sites in Northwest Montana include:
Columbia Falls
- 10/11/2021: Noon - 5 p.m., North Forty Resort, 3765 Highway 40 W.
Kalispell
- 9/29/2021: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Flathead Valley Community College, 777 Grandview
- 9/30/2021: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., U.S. Forest Service Offices, 650 Wolfpack Way
- 10/1/2021: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Kalispell City Hall Council Chamber, City Hall Council Chambers, 201 1st Ave. E.
- 10/6/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Kalispell Elks Lodge, 1820 Highway 93S
- 10/7/2021: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Kalispell Blood Donation Center, 126 North Meridian Road
- 10/8/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Kalispell Blood Donation Center, 126 North Meridian Road
- 10/13/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Animal Clinic of Kalispell, Kalispell Blood Center, 126 N. Meridian Road
Whitefish
- 10/13/2021: 10 a.m. - 3:45 p.m., Park Side Credit Union, 1300 Baker Ave.
Missoula
- 9/27/2021: 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Discovery Alliance Church, 2630 Connery Way
- 9/28/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., University of Montana The James E Todd Center, The University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive
- 9/30/2021: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Missoula Church of the Nazarene, 2339 26th Ave.
- 10/5/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., University of Montana The James E Todd Center, The University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive
- 10/7/2021: 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 2401 N. Reserve St.
- 10/13/2021: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Gray Wolf Peak Casino, 20750 US-93
- 10/14/2021: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., US Forest Service Blood Drive at Red Cross Donation Center, 2401 N Reserve St. Suite 6
- 10/15/2021: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Charter College, 1930 Brooks St.
Seeley Lake
- 9/29/2021: Noon - 5:30 p.m., Mission Bible Fellowship, 3158 Highway 83
Florence
- 9/27/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Florence-Carlton Community Church, 20075 Old Highway 93
Hamilton
- 10/4/2021: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Marcus Daly Hospital, 1200 Westwood Drive
- 10/8/2021: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Bitterroot College, 103 S. 9th St.
- 10/12/2021: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Grace Lutheran Church, 275 Hattie Lane
