KALISPELL — The Montana Red Cross is asking healthy donors of all blood types to give back at blood drives in Flathead, Lake, and Lincoln counties starting next week.
Montana Red Cross officials say blood donations are badly needed during the winter months to maintain a healthy blood supply in area hospitals – especially this winter due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Montana Red Cross Executive Director Diane Wright says mobile blood drives are seeking donors in Bigfork, Kalispell, Saint Ignatius, and Libby.
Wright says the Red Cross is testing all donor blood for COVID-19 antibodies, with results available within one to two weeks.
Those results indicate if a donor’s immune system has produced antibodies regardless of whether an individual has developed COVID-19 symptoms.
She says blood donated with proper antibodies can help hospitalized COVID-19 patients recover.
“We can take the plasma from that blood donation and create convalescent plasma to provide to COVID-19 patients who are seriously ill from the disease,” Wright tells MTN News.
The Montana Red Cross asks those wishing to donate blood to schedule an appointment online at redcrossblood.org.
Upcoming blood donation sites in Northwest Montana include:
Bigfork
- 2/2/2021: 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Bethany Lutheran Church, 8559 Highway 35
Kalispell
- 2/5/2021: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Homewood Suites, 195 Hutton Ranch Road
- 2/10/2021: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Kalispell City Hall Council Chamber, City Hall Council Chambers, 201 1st Ave. E.
Saint Ignatius
- 2/2/2021: Noon - 6 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Main and Highway 93
Libby
- 2/11/2021: Noon - 5:30 p.m., VFW, 114 West 2nd St.
Bonner
- 2/15/2021: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Potomac Greenough Community Center, 29827 Potomac Road
Missoula
- 2/3/2021: 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., St. Anthonys Parish, 217 Tremont
- 2/10/2021: 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., University of Montana The James E Todd Center, The University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive
Seeley Lake
- 2/10/2021: Noon - 5:30 p.m., Seeley-Swan High School, 456 Locust Lane
Hamilton
- 2/12/2021: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Bitterroot College, 103 S. 9th St.
