By Trish Svoboda/Image courtesy of the American Red Cross

As the busy summer season begins, the American Red Cross is urging people to donate blood—especially during the July 4th holiday week.

“This time of year, people are on vacation, kids are out of school, and schedules change,” said Logan Wright, regional communicator for the Red Cross in Kansas and Oklahoma. “It’s easy for blood donation appointments to get missed, but the need for blood stays constant.”

Wright said donors with type O blood are especially important because their blood can be used in emergencies when there’s no time to determine a patient’s blood type.

Natural disasters also impact the blood supply. “Flooding, tornadoes, and hurricanes can disrupt blood drives,” Wright said. “So even if people intended to give blood, we might not be able to collect it when these things sort of happen.”

To encourage donations, the Red Cross is partnering with GoodR to give out exclusive red sunglasses with a sticker showing their blood type to anyone who donates between July 1–14. Donors also receive a Red, White and You T-shirt.

Wright also offered advice to first-time donors: “We see first time donors all the time. It takes about an hour. Drink a bottle of water and eat a good meal before you go. They’ll check you in, ask you some questions about your recent health, check your hemoglobin, and then take you back to the donation chair. The actual donation process takes about 6 to 10 minutes.”

Wright recommends calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or visiting redcrossblood.org with any questions before donating.

Beyond blood drives, Wright says the Red Cross offers CPR classes, swimming lessons, lifeguard training, and disaster response programs. “There’s tons of cool things that Red Cross does that are more than blood donation,” said Wright. “We help people prepare for and recover from emergencies every day.”