Red Cross Campaign Motivates Nearly 300,000 Blood Donors to Fill Missing Types for Patients in Need

Three-week June campaign successfully rallied blood donors to donate A, B, AB and O

In July, more donors still needed: Emergency Shortage for all types

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Jul 18, 2019, 10:35 ET

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the course of three weeks, nearly 300,000 generous individuals came together through the American Red Cross Missing Types campaign to donate blood and help save lives.

In June, iconic corporate and civic brands, celebrities, and influencers removed the A, B and O – the main blood groups – from signage, websites and other public-facing platforms to illustrate the critical role blood donors play helping patients. Together, we helped inspire blood donors to roll up a sleeve. Join us to help fill in the missing types this summer – make an appointment to give blood by visiting RedCrossBlood.org.

From June 11 to June 30, the Red Cross and iconic corporate and civic brands, celebrities and influencers dropped the letters A, B and O — the main blood groups — from logos and other public platforms to highlight the unmet need for blood donations, which are provided by just 3 percent of people in the U.S. Additionally this summer, Missing Types lead partners are also hosting 275 blood drives with a goal of collecting over 8,000 blood donations.

You can schedule an appointment by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or activating Amazon's Alexa Red Cross Blood Skill.

"We're grateful for everyone's support to roll up a sleeve and help fill in the Missing Types to save lives," said Cliff Numark, senior vice president, Red Cross. "The need for blood is constant, and for thousands of patients across the country, these volunteer blood donations make a lifesaving difference. Summer months are a difficult time to collect blood donations as many people take vacations. In addition, blood drives at high schools and universities typically go on hiatus until summer's end."

"As a result, following the July Fourth holiday week, despite the boost in appointments from the Missing Types Campaign, the Red Cross issued an emergency blood shortage," he said. "We urge all eligible individuals to give now to help ensure blood products remain available for children battling cancer, accident victims and others."

BLOOD DONORS AND PARTNERS HELP SAVE LIVES During the campaign, nearly 300,000 generous blood donors signed up to give, with over 40,000 of those appointments generated by new blood donors, an eight percent increase above typical appointment levels. Missing Types lead and supporting partners raised awareness through a number of creative ways to inspire eligible individuals to give this summer and become regular donors.

The Red Cross appreciates the support of its lead partners who have joined the #MissingTypes campaign, including: Ace Hardware, Adobe, Amazon, AVANGRID, Boise Paper, CarMax, The Clorox Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Domino's, Facebook, Google, Herbalife Nutrition, IBM®, Land O'Lakes, Inc., Mall of America®, Nationwide®, OnStar, Oreo, PayPal, Salesforce, State Farm®, Suburban Propane, Sunoco, U.S. Bank, Zaxby's Franchising LLC and Zebra Technologies Corporation.

While Missing Types successfully achieved its objectives in generating new blood donors, these results could not overcome the difficult issues that affect blood donations from new and recurring donors during the summer months.

BLOOD DONATION INFORMATION Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients.

To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross