Blood Donations Needed In Birmingham Area: Red Cross Drives Coming Up Soon

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The Red Cross and other blood donation organizations are working to bolster the country's blood supply as the pandemic wanes.

Those who give blood, platelets or plasma through the Red Cross in May will be entered for a chance to win a travel trailer camper that sleeps five from Suburban Propane. The Red Cross will also give donors a T-shirt between May 28 and June 13 while supplies last.

Actor James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly, are urging people to donate blood this summer. Kimberly Van Der Beek needed blood transfusions in the past year after she experienced back-to-back pregnancy losses.

"Donating blood is something that I’ve always done throughout my life,” James Van Der Beek said. “It seemed important. But I never knew how important until the woman I love most was in a situation where that much blood made the difference between life and death. It just brought it home in a very real way.”

Here are the Red Cross blood drives coming up in the Birmingham area in the next few weeks. You can search for additional Red Cross blood drives from a wider area here.

• 5/20/2021: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Bessemer Civic Center, 1130 9th Avenue SW (Bessemer)
• 5/20/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 5/21/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 5/21/2021: 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/22/2021: 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/23/2021: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Green Valley Church, 1815 Patton Chapel Road (Birmingham)
• 5/23/2021: 7:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Bluff Park United Methodist, 733 Valley Street (Birmingham)
• 5/23/2021: 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/24/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 5/24/2021: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Pawnee Baptist Church, 2370 Hewitt Dr (Birmingham)
• 5/24/2021: 12:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/25/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 5/25/2021: 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Grandview Medical Center, 3690 Grandview Parkway (Birmingham)
• 5/25/2021: 7 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Grandview Medical Center, 3690 Grandview Parkway (Birmingham)
• 5/25/2021: 12:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/26/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 5/26/2021: 10:45 a.m. - 5:45 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/27/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 5/27/2021: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/28/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 5/28/2021: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., Paul Davis Restoration of Greater Birmingam, 3950 Pinson Valley Parkway (Birmingham)
• 5/28/2021: 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/29/2021: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Shades Valley YMCA, 3551 Montgomery Hwy. (Birmingham)
• 5/29/2021: 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/30/2021: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Chabad of Alabama, 3040 Overton Rd (Birmingham)
• 5/30/2021: 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 5/31/2021: 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 6/1/2021: 12:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 6/2/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 6/2/2021: 10:45 a.m. - 5:45 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 6/3/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 6/4/2021: 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., UAB Medical Center Blood Donation Center, 1802 6th Ave S (Birmingham)
• 6/4/2021: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., Brookwood Village Mall, 780 Brookwood Village (Birmingham)
• 6/4/2021: 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)
• 6/5/2021: 8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Birmingham Blood Donation Center, 700 Caldwell Trace (Birmingham)

Click here to see more Red Cross blood drives in the Birmingham area, or search for others nearby.

Editor's note: This list was automatically generated using data compiled by the American Red Cross. The local blood drives included in the list are limited to those at the time the Red Cross data was pulled. Please visit RedCrossBlood.org for the most current listing of drives. Please report any errors or other feedback to content@patch.com. Know of another blood drive coming up in your area? You can add it to the Patch calendar using this form.

People who have received a coronavirus vaccine can donate blood so long as they are symptom-free, feeling well and can provide the vaccine manufacturer's name, according to the American Red Cross. There is no waiting period after getting a vaccine dose.

All blood types are needed, especially type O, to refuel the country’s blood stockpile for the spring and summer.

In most states, donors need to be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in generally good health; some states allow 16-year-olds to donate with parental consent. Donors 18 years old and younger need to meet certain height and weight requirements.

People who donate blood, platelets or plasma in May through the Red Cross will be automatically entered for a chance to win a travel trailer camper that sleeps five from Suburban Propane. Anyone who donates through May 15 will receive a $5 Amazon gift card by email courtesy of Suburban Propane.

Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive. Appointments can be made via the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, online or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS.