Post Falls American Legion to host Red Cross blood drive Thursday
Post Falls American Legion Post 143 will fill its media room with Red Cross donors Thursday as hospitals face a severe shortage of platelets and key blood types.
Kootenai County patients are feeling the strain of a national blood shortage, and Post Falls American Legion Post 143 is stepping in Thursday with a Red Cross drive meant to help restock a system where hospital demand has outpaced supply. The need is especially acute for platelets and types O, A negative and B negative blood, which the Red Cross said were among the hardest to keep on the shelf.
The drive is set for Thursday, May 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 1138 Poleline Ave. in Post Falls, in the post’s media room. Registration is available online through the post’s website. Post 143 has already lined up another blood drive for Friday, July 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., giving local donors another chance to help later in the summer.
The American Legion says its Blood Donor Program has existed officially since 1942, and the organization tracks participating posts by the number of drives held and the total pints donated on annual Consolidated Post Reports. The Red Cross says it provides about 40% of the nation’s blood and blood components, yet only about 3% of age-eligible people donate each year. That gap is one reason local drives matter: every appointment helps keep the supply moving for patients who may need blood during surgery, treatment or emergency care.
The Red Cross said in January that it was facing a severe blood shortage and that requests from hospitals exceeded the available supply. In a county where hospitals and first responders depend on steady donations, a single afternoon drive can make a difference far beyond Post Falls.
Post 143 has also used its building as a gathering place for other public-service efforts. In March, the post hosted an “A Night of Thanks” banquet honoring local law enforcement, fire and medical professionals, along with Legion and Auxiliary members, and in April six members of Idaho Post 143 completed Columbia Protocol Be the One train-the-trainer work. Thursday’s blood drive fits that pattern, turning a familiar hall on Poleline Avenue into a place where community service is measured in pints.
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