SAN ANTONIO – The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center is holding a week-long community blood drive in hopes of building up a 15-20 day blood supply amid the coronavirus outbreak.
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The blood drive will be held at the San Antonio Shrine Auditorium, near the intersection of Loop 1604 and Highway 281, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m from March 23 to March 27.
Donations are by appointment only to manage the flow and avoid crowding. Donors can make an appointment at SouthTexasBlood.org/GiveSA or by calling 210-731-5590.
There is a critical need for blood donations in San Antonio and in communities across the country as many blood drives have been canceled and fewer donors are coming into donation centers out of fears of contracting COVID-19.
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The STBTC must collect over 400 units of blood to help patients, health officials have said.
The need is especially acute for new donors and those with type-O blood.
STBC has added additional sanitation measures and temperature checks of potential donors and staff as they enter facilities, officials said. All donors undergo a mini physical, and they are asked about recent travel and other potential exposure to COVID-19.
All donors will receive an H-E-B gift card and Wash Tub car wash voucher, plus another e-gift card of their choice from the new STBTC Donor Store. Selections include GrubHub, Hulu and Amazon.com, organizers said.
The community blood drive is a partnership between STBC, Alzafar Shriners and South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital.
Alzafar Shriners are also accepting donations to the Alzafar Hospital Transportation Fund, which helps families and patients of Shriners Hospitals for Children with transportation, lodging and meals.
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