Butler Red Cross

Annemarie Torrez, of Cranberry Township, started donating blood regularly about two years ago, when her mother was in need of transfusions.

Her mother no longer needs to receive blood regularly, but Torrez has continued donating hers at any opportunity she can find.

“She was getting it rather frequently, so me and my other sisters just really thought we should do our part to help,” Torrez said Thursday, June 22. “But the need is still there, and it's one of those things you can do with very little trouble to yourself that is lifesaving to others.”

Blood donations across the nation are down this summer, with the American Red Cross collecting about 26,000 fewer donations in May than are needed.

Nicole Roschella, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region, said a drop in donations is common for summertime, but still detrimental to people in need of blood donations.

“Typically, in the summer months, or when people are traveling, is where we see donation appointments drop or people just not making their appointments,” Roschella said. “That was a concerning drop, especially as we go into the summer months.”

In an effort to increase blood donations, the Red Cross is offering a $10 gift card to anyone who donates blood in June. They also will be automatically entered for a chance to win a backyard theater package, according to a news release from the Red Cross.

The Red Cross website also has a page where people can search for blood drives near them by typing in their ZIP code. Roschella said community organizations, like churches or nonprofits, can contact the Red Cross to organize community blood drives.

The Red Cross tries to schedule blood drives frequently, and they are often spaced out to allow people to donate as soon as they are able.

“You can donate blood every 56 days,” Roschella said. “We try to line it up where we have these drives every 56 days so people in that area can come back.”

Torrez said she tries to get to donation drives as soon as she is eligible to donate again, and was even heading to a drive Thursday afternoon.

“I look forward to it because I feel like I am helping a number of people out that I'll never meet,” she said. “It makes you feel like you're part of something bigger.”

Torrez also said that there was a point in her life when she didn’t think she could donate blood, but she found later she was eligible. After giving so many times, she has also become more comfortable with the donation process.

Roschella urged people to search for blood drives in their region, because the Red Cross needs a constant flow of donors to keep up with the needed supply.

“When people's routines are shaken up, making sure that their blood donation appointments don't fall off the calendar (is important),” she said.

To search for a blood drive schedule, visit redcrossblood.org/give.