Blood Drive In West Windsor Jan. 30

WEST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, NJ — The American Red Cross will host a blood drive in West Windsor this month as it faces a critical need for blood donors of all types. The blood drive will take place on Thursday, Jan. 30, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

The Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of type O blood. To help tackle the critical need, the Red Cross and NFL are working together to offer one lucky winner a trip to Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

During the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s, about 500 fewer blood drives were hosted by volunteer sponsor groups than required to meet patient needs. Many groups postpone blood drives during the winter holidays when travel and holiday activities may make it challenging for many donors to give. In fact, AAA estimated that a record 115.6 million Americans traveled during the holiday period of Dec. 21 through Jan. 1.

“Lifesaving medical treatments and emergencies never take a holiday,” American Red Cross Biomedical Services Senior Vice President Paul Sullivan said. “Declines in donations can affect patient care. That’s why the Red Cross is encouraging eligible donors to make an appointment to give now and help those sidelined by illness and trauma.”

Donors are urged to make an appointment to give now using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

As a special thank-you, those who come to give blood or platelets Jan. 1-19, 2020, will automatically be entered for a chance to experience the Super Bowl live. The Red Cross and NFL have teamed up to offer one winner two tickets to Super Bowl LIV, entry to the official NFL Tailgate, tickets to Super Bowl Experience at the Miami Beach Convention Center, round-trip airfare to Miami, three-night hotel accommodations at The Alexander — All Suite Oceanfront Resort (Jan. 31 to Feb. 3), and a $500 gift card for expenses. Additional details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.

“The Red Cross appreciates the NFL’s support during this crucial time of year when every donation — and every donor — matters. We hope this may inspire some to make regular blood and platelet donation one of their New Year’s resolutions,” Sullivan said.