SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Multiple blood donor centers have been experiencing emergency blood shortages recently. The American Red Cross said the country's blood donation supply is at critically low levels, and that includes Arkansas.
"The blood supply is perishable, and it can't be stockpiled for an emergency, so we constantly need blood donors to help replenish that supply," Lori Arnold with the Red Cross said. "The fact that we don't have enough blood collections going on right now, it's crucial that people roll up a sleeve and give blood whenever they can."
Greg Womack with the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO) said this summer has been a challenging one.
"Here, locally, we had the tornado that disrupted normal blood drives, as well as donors giving blood for the weeks following that," Womack said. "And then we had the normal slump during the Fourth of July week. And then after coming out on the Fourth of July, for whatever reason, our blood drives and blood donations just did not pick up like they normally do."
Arnold said the Red Cross prioritizes supplying local hospitals first, but since they are a worldwide organization, they ship blood all across America.
"Think about how many loved ones and family and friends we have all over the country," she said. "So, yes, we want our blood to stay close by because that's usually where most of our community exists. But I know that if I had a family member who lived in another state and they needed a certain kind of blood, I'm grateful that that blood can be shipped all over a country to make sure they get what they need."
If you want to ensure your blood stays in the community, the Blood Center of the Ozarks guarantees it stays local.
"All of the hospitals here in Northwest Arkansas, their blood all comes from Community Blood Center of the Ozarks so when someone donates here, it goes to Springfield, where we test it, organize it, and prepare it," Womack said. "And then we send it back here to our distribution center, which is right here in Springdale."
Womack said after they issued the emergency blood shortage, the community came through.
"In the last two weeks, over 5,000 people responded to our request, which is way more than we typically have," Womack said. "We usually shoot for about 200 to 300 per day."
If you are on the fence about donating, both organizations said they will offer some incentives.
"The donors were able to receive a beach towel, and then we also gave them a zoo-themed t-shirt, as well as two free passes to the zoo in Springfield," Womack said.
"You get a free snack or a cookie and a drink, something to kind of get your blood sugar moving again," Arnold said. "For the month of August, people who give at a Red Cross Blood Drive will be given a $20 Amazon gift card."
The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks' next blood drive will be Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cross Church's Fayetteville campus. If you bring your kids along while you donate, they'll have some emergency vehicles and Dalmatians to keep them entertained.
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