Severe Flooding in Northland Impacts Blood Donations

ST. PAUL and DULUTH, Minn., June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Memorial Blood Centers (MBC), among Minnesota's oldest and largest nonprofit community blood centers, is calling upon all area blood donors to help replenish the blood supply after severe weather and flooding in northern Minnesota closed three of its blood donor centers (Duluth, Superior, and Hibbing) and cancelled or postponed blood drives in the Northland region on Wednesday.

Northland blood donors contribute about 20% of the overall blood donations collected by Memorial Blood Centers. All blood donor centers and mobile blood drives – both in the Northland and in Twin Cities – are now operating on a regular schedule to recoup the blood donations needed to meet local hospital needs.

"We prepare for emergencies and rely on the public to help us have the necessary blood available for our partner hospitals," said Kenneth Kieffer, Vice President of Recruitment, Collections and Production Planning, adding "looking ahead, our concern now is to replenish our blood supply. Having blood donors, both in the Twin Cities and in the Northland, make a donation now is one important way to help the community."

Eligible donors are encouraged to make an appointment to make a blood donation – all blood types are needed every day, and at this time we especially need type O donations. Appointments can be made by calling toll-free 1-888-GIVE-BLD (1-888-448-3253) or visit MBC.org to schedule an appointment online.

About Memorial Blood Centers  
Memorial Blood Centers has been saving lives for over 60 years as an independent nonprofit supplying life-saving blood to area hospitals and other partners throughout the U.S. Operating 11 donor centers and conducting hundreds of blood drives each month, Memorial Blood Centers also provides comprehensive testing and expert technical services as a national leader in transfusion medicine. For more information, call

1-888-GIVE-BLD or visit MBC.org.

SOURCE Memorial Blood Centers