MISSOULA - It was making headlines months ago, as our nation was in crisis mode. The American Red Cross was saying at the time that we were having a blood supply shortage.
There is good news, as the Red Cross now says we have bounced back a bit, but aren’t yet in the clear. Red Cross officials say during the summer months they see a sharp decline in the number of donations — mostly due to schools out for the summer, busy travel schedules and summer activities.
Although the organization has seen an increase in the number of donors over the past couple of years, at any given moment only 30% of the population can actually donate blood. That makes it important for the Red Cross to keep donations coming through the door.
“Especially throughout the year and during the summer, the need could be higher, you know just cause of car accidents and just anything happening during the summer months. But we just encourage everyone to come out and donate whenever they get the chance,” explained American Red Cross account manager Alex McKinley.
Learn more about how you can help the Red Cross at https://www.redcross.org/local/montana.html.
