Red Cross: Wild winter boosts need for spring blood donors

Though spring has officially arrived, the American Red Cross blood supply is still recovering from severe winter storms in March. Donors of all blood types are urged to roll up a sleeve and help save lives.

Winter weather in parts of the country forced more than 270 blood drives to cancel, resulting in more than 9,500 uncollected blood and platelet donations in the first two weeks of March. No matter the weather, the need for blood to help cancer patients, those undergoing surgeries, trauma patients and others remains.

Volunteer blood donors from across the country are needed to help ensure lifesaving blood products are available for patients this spring. Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free Red Cross blood donor app, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities include:

WILSON

Today — 3-7 p.m., First Christian Church, 207 Tarboro St. NE

March 29 — 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Wilson City Operations Center, 1800 Herring Ave.

April 6 — 10 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Lowe’s of Wilson, 2501 Forest Hills Road

April 6 — 3:15-6:15 p.m., Best Buy, 3401 Raleigh Road Parkway W.

April 9 — 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Joyner’s Funeral Home, 4100 U.S. 264 NW

April 9 — 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Wilson Agriculture Center, 1806 S. Goldsboro St.

April 11 — 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Beddingfield High School, 4510 Old Stantonsburg Road

April 11 — 3-7 p.m., Farmington Heights Church of God, 910 Raleigh Road NW

TARBORO

March 29 — 12:30-5 p.m.,Braswell Center, 1500 Western Blvd.

March 30 — 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, 111 Hospital Drive

ROCKY MOUNT

March 26 — 3-7 p.m., Ridgecrest Worship Center, 1120 West Mount Drive

March 31 — 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Walmart, 1511 Benvenue Road

April 2 — 3-7 p.m., Bethlehem Baptist Church, 305 S. Halifax Road

April 4 — 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Honeywell Corp., 3475 Wesleyan Blvd.

April 10 — 3-7 p.m., Grace Baptist Church, 8923 West Mount Drive

April 14 — 12:30-4 p.m., Golden East Crossing Mall, 1100 N. Wesleyan Blvd.