The RiverView Health Auxiliary, in cooperation with Vitalant, is sponsoring a blood drive on Friday, February 24, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the RiverView Conference Rooms 1-3.
“How we like to word it is that people often wait for a major tragedy to strike before they even consider donating blood,” RiverView Director of Patient Access Carrie Bergquist explained. “But according to, statistics show that every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood, meaning tragedies on an individual scale are happening daily, so we want to be proactive with that there always seems to be a shortage of blood, and we want to do all that we can.” The Auxiliary is asking for volunteers to donate to ensure they have what they need when tragedy strikes.
To be a donor, you must be at least 16 years old, weigh more than 110 lbs., and be able to show an ID containing your legal name and your birth date, social security number, USB donor number, or photo ID. Doctors also suggest that donors eat healthily and are hydrated before they come to donate on Friday morning; otherwise, they may not accept letting you donate any blood. “If you aren’t well hydrated or maybe not feeling a little well, we will not accept you as a donor. So, we hope that everyone that comes is nice, good, and healthy. If you had a COVID-19 vaccine, you have to wait 30 days before donating, so keep that in mind as well.” If you are a regular donator at Vitalant, you can show the ID card they provide you to donate. “Typically, there are 50 slots, and they tell us that one donation can save up to two lives,” said Bergquist. “So, if we have every slot full, which typically we are, we’re looking at saving over 100 lives in just one morning, which is pretty impactful.” For anyone who donates to the blood drive, RiverView will reward volunteers with coupons for RiverView’s Limited Addition Gift Shop.
If you can donate and would like to make an appointment, please contact Carrie Bergquist at 218-281-9572 or cbergquist@riverviewhealth.org. You can also schedule your appointment online by visiting www.donors.vitalant.org. Remember that there is no substitute for blood. It cannot be manufactured and is the “gift of life” that only human beings can give to one another. Please consider donating.
