Wyandotte High School, metro area locations to host blood drives

During Red Cross Month, the American Red Cross invites everyone to support their communities by giving blood or platelets, volunteering, taking a class or making a financial donation.

Those involved enable the Red Cross to continue to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Like the emergency room of a hospital, the Red Cross must be prepared to respond to patient needs around the clock.

With the generous support of blood donors, the Red Cross can help ensure all patients have the blood products they need, no matter when or where.

Patients of all types regularly need transfusions. A hospital served by the Red Cross recently ordered 50 units of red blood cells and 50 units of plasma for a patient undergoing a liver transplant. Thanks to dedicated Red Cross donors, blood products were readily available for this patient and many others.

To make an appointment to donate blood or for more information about other ways to get involved with the Red Cross, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Atchison County

• March 25 from 3:30-7:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 603 N. Eighth St. in Atchison, Kan.

Jackson County

• March 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 5106 St. John Ave. in Kansas City, Mo.

• March 22 from 3-8 p.m. at Missouri Mavericks, 19100 E. Valley View Parkway in Independence, Mo.

• March 25 from 2:30-6:30 p.m. at Lone Jack High School, 313 S. Bynum in Lone Jack, Mo.

• March 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Gail’s Harley-Davidson/Buell, 5900 E. Highway 150 in Grandview, Mo.

Johnson County

• March 27 from 3-7 p.m. at Valley View United Methodist Church, 8412 W. 95th St. in Overland Park, Kan.

Platte County

• March 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kansas City Military Entrance Processing Center, 10316 NW Praire View Road in Kansas City, Mo.

Wyandotte County

• March 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wyandotte High School, 2501 Minnesota Ave. in Kansas City, Kan.

Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information.

All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in.

Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.

High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.