Saving Arizona Blood Drive aims to replenish state's blood supply

Angela Cordoba Perez
Arizona Republic
Bob Emmelkamp donates blood at the Vitalant blood donor center in Tempe on Feb. 18, 2021.

After the holidays brought days of low blood donations, Arizonans are being invited to donate their blood this Sunday at the Saving Arizona Blood Drive event to help replenish the state’s blood supply.

According to Vitalant, a nonprofit blood services provider, there is a blood shortage in Arizona following “the lowest 10 days of the year for blood donations,” from Christmas through New Year’s Day.

“Donors of all blood types are desperately needed, especially Type-O,“ Sue Thew, a spokesperson with Vitalant, said in a statement. “Because many patients postpone essential surgeries until after the holidays, more blood transfusions are expected to be required in January than during any other month of the year.”

Thew said it takes 600 donors a day to meet Arizona’s blood needs, and at Vitalant they strive to keep a minimum four-day supply for every blood type.

As of Thursday morning, Arizona had a 1.5-day supply of O-positive blood left and a 1-day supply of O-negative left, Thew said. Type O blood is used in emergencies and traumas. There was about a four-day supply for other blood types.

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“Arizona’s blood supply continues to feel the impact of the pandemic. Blood drives remain 20% below pre-pandemic levels with so many people still working virtually, while patient blood usage has returned to normal levels,” a Vitalant statement says.  

The Saving Arizona Blood Drive planned by Vitalant aims to help replenish the blood supply. The event will be from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the Tempe Center for the Arts at 700 W. Rio Salado. Parking will be available on-site.

About 300 of the 658 appointments to donate blood at the event remained open as of Thursday. Thew said they need to fill about 650 appointments to ensure they collect 500 successful blood donations.

Those who would like to make an appointment for the blood drive can do it on the website vitalant.org/saveaz or can call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).

Blood drive donors will receive a Streets of New York 10-inch cheese pizza voucher, a one-day admission to the 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open and a Vitalant long-sleeved T-shirt that can be redeemed by email.

People can also donate at other dates and times at any of the seven donor centers operated by Vitalant in the Valley. The location and appointment information on the other centers can be found at vitalant.org. Donors at the other locations will receive a one-day admission to the 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open and a Vitalant T-shirt.