Fort Wright's Fire/EMS Department will host an appointment-only blood drive with Hoxworth Blood Center on Sept. 4 at the station on Kyles Lane.
The Hoxworth Blood Mobile will park in the fire station lot at 409 Kyles Lane from 2 to 4 p.m. Donors who book a slot will receive a free Hoxworth flannel shirt.
Appointments are required.
Donors can schedule online at donateblood.uc.edu or call 513-451-0910. Nyoka Johnson posted the announcement on the city's website on Aug. 25.
The drive comes as Hoxworth, the country's oldest operating blood bank, flags a critical need for donors. The center supplies more than 30 hospitals across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana and needs 450 donors every day to keep up with demand. In mid-August, Hoxworth reported especially low reserves of O-positive, O-negative, A-negative and B-negative blood.
"A lot of them, especially our cancer patients are routinely getting those blood products," Ashley Smith, Hoxworth's public information officer, told WKRC Local 12 on Aug. 12 when discussing the summer supply crunch. "So, unfortunately in the summer people go on vacation and they do fun things but they're not thinking about their normal routines, so we do see a dip in the supply."
To donate, you must be at least 17 years old (16-year-olds may give with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and feel generally well with no fever or cold symptoms. Females under 19 may donate whole blood once in a 12-month period; males under 19 may donate twice.
Upcoming community events
- Friday, Sept. 4 — Fort Wright Fire/EMS blood drive, 2–4 p.m., 409 Kyles Lane. Appointment required: donateblood.uc.edu or 513-451-0910.
