The American Red Cross will hold a three-day blood drive at the Milwaukee County Zoo Blood Drive.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily Tuesday through Thursday at the zoo’s Peck Center, 10001 W. Bluemound Road.
Appointments are strongly encouraged. Walk-ins are welcome as space allows.
All presenting donors will receive free same-day zoo admission, parking, and two free tickets to Summerfest, while supplies last.
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood and or platelets. Blood is needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. An adequate supply of blood is critical for people waiting for lifesaving care.
The Red Cross must collect nearly 13,000 blood and more than 2,600 platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,500 hospitals nationwide.
While all blood types are vital, there is a pressing need for Type O blood. During an emergency, there isn’t always time to screen for a patient's blood type, forcing medical personnel to reach for Type O blood. Since O negative is the universal donor, it can be given to anyone, while O positive is the most common blood type and is relied on heavily by hospitals and trauma centers.
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 in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), 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.
To make an appointment, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
