‘Tis the season to Give Blood. Holiday Season is causing an increased call for local donors. Blood Bank of Delmarva has issued an urgent call for blood donors, asking those who are able to schedule an appointment to please do so as soon as possible.

tis the season to give blood

“The Holiday Season is challenging for blood centers across the country, as many scheduled donors cancel their appointments and we find ourselves in critical need of blood to serve our hospitals and their patients. The need for O Negative blood, the universal blood type, is most urgent” said Michael Waite, Director of Marketing and Community Relations for Blood Bank of Delmarva. “We are also asking O Positive and A Positive donors to give us a call as soon as they’re able. Additionally, we’re urging Platelet donors to come in soon and those who have appointments to please honor them. Platelets only have a shelf life of five days, so it is essential that we maintain an adequate supply as we move closer to the actual holidays,” said Waite.

Give Blood - urgent blood donors needed

Blood Bank of Delmarva has five permanent donor centers in Christiana, Wilmington, Dover, Chadds Ford, PA and Salisbury, MD.

Appointments are encouraged, but due to the current need, walk-in donors are welcome. To schedule an appointment, please visit www.DelmarvaBlood.org or call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8. You can also schedule via the Blood Bank’s free mobile app.

About Blood Bank of Delmarva

The Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) is a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) community service organization which provides blood transfusion products and services for hospitals within the Delmarva region which includes Delaware as well as Maryland. For over 60 years, Blood Bank of Delmarva has ensured a safe and continuous supply of blood to meet the needs of over 20,000 patients annually. In addition to blood provisioning, BBD operates a full service regional laboratory providing donor testing and patient reference laboratory services for other blood collection centers and hospitals.