Holy Spirit Episcopal Church

It's Blood Drive Time Again

Have you ever wondered where the donations go?
And, just what is a "Power Red" donation?

The fall blood drive will be here before we know it! Holy Spirit Parish will host a blood drive on Thursday, September 23rd between 1:00 and 6:00 p.m., in the parish hall. Our fall and winter blood drives are quite a tradition at Holy Spirit. Some parishioners have already signed up for a fall donation appointment! You can sign up on the Red Cross website: https://www.redcrossblood.org.  Or, contact Audrey Murray: , 612-968-2108.

Have you ever wondered where the donations from Holy Spirit blood drives end up? The Red Cross sends blood to locations all over the world. However, most of the donations from our February blood drive were put to use right here in Montana. The donations were sent to:

• Sidney Health Center - Sidney, MT
• Benefis Healthcare - Great Falls, MT
• Great Falls Clinic - Great Falls, MT
• Ft. Harrison VA Medical Center - Helena, MT
• North Vista Hospital - Las Vegas, NV

You may have noticed that some of the appointments available on the Red Cross scheduling website are set aside for Power Red donations. Have you ever wondered what a Power Red donation is? At our February blood drawing, Gary Swartz signed up for a Power Red donation. This is his experience:

“As a long-time blood donor, I came to Holy Spirit last February ready to give a pint of blood. When asked about becoming a Power Red donor I had to be told what it entailed.

It sounded easy enough, and I had the extra 30 minutes to spare. The hook up was like a regular blood donation, but because they were taking two units of red blood cells, they would be replacing some of my blood mixed saline as it was pumped back into my arm. The saline solution, being at room temperature, was cool and produced a refreshing feeling. Before too long I was done and felt good about helping twice as many people with the Power Red program. I would have to wait almost four months to donate again but in September I plan to continue to be a Power Red donor.”

As Gary notes, a Power Red donation allows you to safely donate two units of red blood cells during one donation. The Power Red is for donors with type O, A negative or B negative blood types. With just a little extra time at your appointment—it takes about 1.5 hours—you can donate more red cells and increase your impact on patients in need. There are a few special requirements. Power Red donors can donate every 112 days, up to 3 times/year. In addition, Male donors must be at least 5'1" tall and weigh 130 lbs. or more. Female donors must be at least 5'5" tall and weigh 150 lbs. or more. And, as with any blood donation, you must be in good health and feeling well.

Please consider being a Power Red donor. You will double your impact! See you at the blood drive on September 23, 2021.