MILWAUKEE, Wis. — With a potentially severe flu season on the horizon, the Wisconsin chapter of the American Red Cross hopes to weather the need for more blood by encouraging healthy donors to give back.
Just a year after the Red Cross declared a national blood shortage crisis, the organization is back on track.
But, with the Centers for Disease Control predicting a serious spread of the flu in the coming months, the organization is hosting a number of blood donation opportunities this month across southeast Wisconsin to try to help.
“If people are affected by the flu, that also affects their ability to come out and donate blood. And so, we're just encouraging people right now to, if you're feeling healthy and well, to make that appointment,” said Justin Kern, Communications Director at the American Red Cross of Wisconsin.
This comes right as the Red Cross made some adjustments to its donation policies, adjusting its rules for donors who may have lived in Europe in the last 30 years.
Before, the risk of a rare disease known as Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or VCJD, made many military members who were stationed abroad ineligible to donate.
Now, as we honor our nation’s veterans, their service can continue (Veteran's Day is this Friday).
“Today's the anniversary of the Marine Corps being established; tomorrow's Veteran's Day, and it's awesome to think that this community that has given so much can return to giving back in that special way as blood donors again,” said Kern.
As an added bonus, those who donate within the next month get a beanie and a $10 e-gift card. The Red Cross says incentives like these help get supplies during a time when people tend to donate less.
“Knowing that winters can bring us pretty much anything here in Wisconsin, we’re just asking for folks to help us out so it doesn't get anywhere near that as we get into the winter,” said Kern.
Red Cross of Wisconsin's website.
Below is a list of upcoming donor events:
Ashippun
11/14/2022: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Ashippun Town Hall, W1266 Hwy O
Fox Lake
11/17/2022: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., Fox Lake Correctional, W10237 Lake Emily Rd
12/5/2022: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Living Hope Community Church, 740 W. State St, PO Box 111
Juneau
11/21/2022: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., St Johns Lutheran Church & School, 402 S Main St
Lomira
11/28/2022: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Trinity United Methodist Church, 300 Church ST
Mayville
11/10/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Mayville Hometown Pharmacy, 1448 Horicon Street
Waupun
11/10/2022: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Edgewood Church, 201 Edgewood Dr
12/7/2022: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Waupun High School, 801 E Lincoln
Brandon
11/15/2022: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Bethel Reformed Church, 305 W Main St
Fond du Lac
11/9/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., St Mary's Springs High School, 255 Cty Rd K
11/15/2022: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Fond du Lac High School, 801 Campus Dr
11/21/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Thrive Church, 79 E 2nd St
11/22/2022: 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., American Legion, 500 Fond du Lac Ave
11/22/2022: 1:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Legion, 500 Fond du Lac Ave
11/25/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., YMCA, 90 W 2nd St
Oakfield
12/2/2022: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Oakfield Community Center, 130 N Main St
Ripon
11/10/2022: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Ripon High School, 850 Tiger Dr
11/16/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Ripon College, 300 Seward St
Ixonia
12/8/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., St Pauls Ixonia, W1955 Gopher Hill Rd.
Johnson Creek
11/22/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, W4095 County Rd B
12/8/2022: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Community Center, 417 Union St
Lake Mills
11/25/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Rock Lake Activity Center, 229 Fremont St.
12/6/2022: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., City Hall, 200 Water St
Waterloo
11/18/2022: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Waterloo High School, 865 N Monroe St
12/2/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., St. John's Lutheran School, 413 E Madison
Watertown
11/7/2022: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Maranatha Baptist University, 745 W Main St
11/16/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Watertown Senior & Community Center, 514 S. First Street
11/28/2022: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Christ United Methodist Church, 112 Hall Street
11/29/2022: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Christ United Methodist Church, 112 Hall Street
Greendale
11/17/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., The Hose Tower, 5699 Parking St
Milwaukee
11/8/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., General Mitchell Airport Delta Air Lines, 5300 S Howell Ave
11/18/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Schlitz Park, 1555 N River Center Dr
11/18/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., East Library Milwaukee Public Library, 2320 N Cramer Street
11/22/2022: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Lutheran Chapel of the Cross, 3353 S. Whitnall
11/23/2022: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Broken Bat Brewing Co, 135 E Pittsburgh Ave
11/25/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Loving Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3909 W Clinton Ave
11/29/2022: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Milwaukee Academy of Science, 2000 W. Kilbourn
11/30/2022: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., MobCraft Beer Brewery and Taproom, 505 S 5th St
12/1/2022: 8:15 a.m. - 2 p.m., Ronald Reagan High School, 4965 S 20th St
12/1/2022: 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Gee’s Clippers, 2200 N. Dr. M.L.K. Jr Dr.
12/2/2022: 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Marquette Gymnasium, 1508 W. Clybourn Street
Oak Creek
11/8/2022: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Oak Creek East Middle School, 9330 S Shepard Ave
11/17/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., The Salvation Army Oak Creek Centennial Church, 8853 S. Howell Ave.
River Hills
11/22/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., St Christophers Episcopal Church, 7845 N River Rd
Burlington
11/23/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Low Daily Brewery, 700 N Pine St
Racine
11/22/2022: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., St. Catherine's High School Racine, 1200 Park Ave.
11/25/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 716 College Ave
Elkhart Lake
11/18/2022: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Elkhart Lake High School, 201 Lincoln St
Plymouth
11/10/2022: 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, N5990 Country Aire Rd
Sheboygan
11/11/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sheboygan Trades and Labor Hall, 1104 Wisconsin Ave
11/18/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sheboygan Trades and Labor Hall, 1104 Wisconsin Ave
11/25/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sheboygan Trades and Labor Hall, 1104 Wisconsin Ave
12/2/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sheboygan Trades and Labor Hall, 1104 Wisconsin Ave
12/9/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sheboygan Trades and Labor Hall, 1104 Wisconsin Ave
East Troy
11/14/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., East Troy Bible Church, 2660 North St -Hwy 20
Elkhorn
12/7/2022: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Eklhorn High School, 482 East Geneva Street
12/8/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Kunes Country RV, 9 Deere Rd
Lake Geneva
11/18/2022: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Como Community Church, W3901 Palmer Road
11/21/2022: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Badger High School, 220 E South St
12/9/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., The Cove of Lake Geneva, 111 Center Street
Whitewater
11/11/2022: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Cravath Lakefront Community Center, 341 S Fremont Street
11/16/2022: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., University of Wisconsin Whitewater, 228 Wyman Pedestrian Mall
Jackson
11/8/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Still Waters Community United Methodist Church, 3617 Scenic Rd
11/23/2022: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Jackson Community Center, N165 W20330 Hickory Ln
Slinger
12/7/2022: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Slinger Community Library, 220 Slinger Rd
Brookfield
11/29/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel, 375 S Moorland Road
11/30/2022: 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Brookfield Central High School, 16900 Gebhardt Rd
12/2/2022: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sendik's Towne Centre, 18905 W Capitol Dr, Suite C101
12/7/2022: 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Bishops Woods Office Park, 375 Bishops Way
Hartland
11/9/2022: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Zion Lutheran Church and School, 1023 E Capitol Drive
11/10/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Oakwood Church, 3041 Oakwood Rd
Menomonee Falls
11/23/2022: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., American Legion Post 382, N88 W16652 Main St
Mukwonago
12/5/2022: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Hillside Community Church, S93 W30580 County Road NN
Muskego
11/16/2022: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Muskego High School, W185S8750 Racine Ave
Nashotah
11/17/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., MSI General, W215 E. Wisconsin Ave
New Berlin
11/7/2022: 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., New Berlin West Middle & High School, 18695 W Cleveland Ave
11/15/2022: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., New Berlin Public Library, 15105 Library Ln
12/9/2022: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Eisenhower High School, 4333 S Sunnyslope Rd
North Lake
12/5/2022: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., North Lake School, N75 W31283 Hwy VV
Oconomowoc
12/2/2022: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., YMCA at Pabst Farms, 1750 Valley Rd
12/5/2022: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 145 E. Lisbon Rd
Pewaukee
11/10/2022: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Waukesha Blood Donation Center, 2220 Silvernail Rd
11/15/2022: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, W240 N3103 Pewaukee Rd
11/17/2022: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Waukesha Blood Donation Center, 2220 Silvernail Rd
12/1/2022: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Waukesha Blood Donation Center, 2220 Silvernail Rd
12/8/2022: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Waukesha Blood Donation Center, 2220 Silvernail Rd
Sussex
11/25/2022: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., Ironwood Golf Course, W270 N6166 Moraine Dr
Waukesha
11/11/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Montessori School of Waukesha, 601 N University Dr
11/18/2022: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Carroll University, 210 N. Grand Avenue
11/21/2022: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Raised Grain Brewing Company, 1725 Dolphin Drive
11/25/2022: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Pizza Ranch, 930 Fleetfoot Dr.
