Red Cross urges Lake Superior donors amid blood shortage

A Red Cross blood drive in Duluth had only eight appointments booked for a site that could take 20, as the organization urged St. Louis County residents to make time for donations during a summer shortage. Penny Dieryck, a local volunteer, called the need immediate for hospitals and patients that depend on a steady supply.

The American Red Cross provides about 40% of the nation’s blood and must collect more than 13,000 blood donations and about 3,000 platelet donations each day to meet patient need at roughly 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers. In Northern and Central Minnesota, the region serving St. Louis County, western Wisconsin counties and eight sovereign Native American communities, the Duluth office operates at 2524 Maple Grove Rd.

The Red Cross chapter office drive was set for June 30, another will be held July 1 at the La Quinta Inn and Suites in Duluth, and Miller Hill Mall is among the other Northland locations where donors can give. Scheduled drives account for 90% of the donations the Red Cross receives, and summer travel and changing schedules often keep people away from appointments.

In January, the Red Cross put the national blood supply about 35% below the prior month, with the sharpest concern for platelets and blood types O, A negative and B negative. Winter storms canceled more than 500 blood drives and left about 20,000 blood and platelet donations uncollected since Jan. 23.

The issue is personal for Dieryck, too. Both her father and mother-in-law needed blood for medical reasons. She has also volunteered with the Red Cross board, helped run blood drives and taught children’s preparedness programs such as the Pillowcase Project and Prepare with Pedro.