Snow, Winds, Rain, and Floods, Oh, My! Blood Donors Needed.

Winter weather has taken its toll with a quadruple punch of snow, winds, rain, and flooding in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, this nasty weather has led to numerous missed appointments and a serious decline in blood donations.

Schedule your appointment at a blood drive near you or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

It’s the blood that is already on the shelves that helps save lives before, during and after more extreme weather conditions, so the Red Cross is urging immediate blood and platelet donations in areas where it’s safe for donors to do so.

Since platelets have a shelf-life of just five days, it is imperative that there are enough platelets on hand to meet the needs of patients across the country.

Nationwide, around 44,000 blood donations are needed each and every day to meet the needs of accident victims, cancer patients, and children with blood disorders. These patients and others rely on blood products during their treatment. If blood collections are negatively impacted by winter weather, the long-term care needs of these patients could also be affected.

When winter weather strikes, this need does not diminish, even though blood donors may find it difficult or impossible to get to a convenient donation opportunity. If people will make an appointment to donate blood in the upcoming days and weeks ahead, blood will be available should conditions prohibit people from traveling or coming to blood drives.

It is crucial that we build our blood supply for all patients in need and regain a sufficient supply for the unexpected. Please help now. Make a blood donation appointment online or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

The Perfect Gift

You can gift wrap a sweater. You can place a bow on a shiny new bicycle. You can fill a gift bag with holiday cookies. One thing you can’t put in a box and place under the tree is the perfect gift – a lifesaving blood donation.

When you donate blood, you give the perfect gift - another hug, another laugh, another smile, another chance - to someone in need of blood.

Think outside the box this holiday season. The perfect gift is at your nearest American Red Cross blood drive or blood donation center. And, unlike the latest fashion trend, video game or golf club, the perfect gift costs nothing but an hour of your time.

Give the perfect gift and help a family member, friend or someone you’ve never met unwrap a lifetime of memories.

The Red Cross is proud to present “The Perfect Gift,” a video highlighting the importance of blood donation. Hopefully, it inspires you to give blood this holiday season and throughout the year. Call 1-800 RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment today.

Ways to share the message!

Send an eCard
Download our Audio PSA :30 second (MP3)
Download our Audio PSA :60 second (MP3)
Download our Video PSA :30 second
Download our Video PSA :60 second
Use a Web Banner

Also, be sure to mention #perfectgift when sharing!

Help Oregon Red Cross Help Our Community Through the

Willamette Week Give!Guide

Oregon Red Cross is proud to be featured in the 2011 Willamette Week Give!Guide, which raised more than $1 million for local nonprofits last year. Like most Americans over the last few years, we have had to tighten our belts and work smarter while responding to a seemingly ever increasing number of disasters right here in Oregon.

We now have only 47 full time staff in humanitarian services to cover almost 100,000 square miles in the state of Oregon. But when disaster strikes, our organization wants to be ready to respond to floods, winter storms and the 2:00 A.M. call to assist a family affected by a home fire. When you click on Oregon Red Cross in the 'Community' section of the Give!Guide, you'll be glad to know that 100% of your donation goes directly to help victims of disasters.

People affected by disaster need to know that they have a place to stay, food to eat and emotional support from someone who cares as they take the first steps to recovery. This is our commitment to the people of Oregon and with your help and support we will always honor that commitment.

The American Red Cross is not a government agency. We rely solely on tax deductible financial donations to support our disaster response and humanitarian relief efforts. And because it's nice to do well when you do good, you'll be even more delighted to know that you can receive wonderful thank you gifts from Oregon Red Cross, Papa Murphy's and Willamette Week:

Our partner Papa Murphy will give you a free pizza with your $25 gift.

Oregon Red Cross is offering our own incentive for those who make a gift through the Give!Guide. Donate $50 or more to us by midnight on December 31 and be entered into our drawing for a four-person emergency kit worth $165!

Finally, Willamette Week offers:

• $10-$499 You get coupons good for discounts and freebies all over town. There is one level for donors between $10 and $99, another for $100 to $499. Larger gifts result in better deals. See the Give!Guide website for details.
  
• $500-$999 You get home delivery of a bottle of wine from A to Z Wineworks, a nice bag of Stumptown Coffee, Widmer Beer, a Chinook Book app, and more.
  
• $1,000-$2,499 You get home delivery of pinot noir from Rex Hill Vineyards, the Chinook Book app, a package of Bob’s Red Mill Honey Oats Granola, Stumptown Coffee, Widmer Beer, and more.
  
• $2,500 You get home delivery from one of Willamette Week’s owners of a bottle of sparkling wine, Rex Hill pinot noir wine, Moonstruck Chocolates, Stam dog treats, Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, and more, including the Chinook Book app.

Threadless.com - Red Cross Tee Design Winner!

The results are in for the Threadless Red Cross tee design challenge…and they picked an awesome shirt!

Threadless created an amazing idea which honors our everyday heroes through celebrating actions like donating blood, using lifesaving CPR training, and providing emergency shelter when the need is the greatest.

“Heroes Within” by campkatie is the winning design, and the Red Cross will receive 25% of the sale from each tee purchased! Red Cross staff members like Joseph (pictured above) are in on the action - be a hero and buy one today!

Your Donation Matters.

Good to Give, Good to Go! Don't Miss Out!

Help Fuel the Blood Supply and Get a Chance to Win a $100 Gas Card!

Red Cross to Hold $100 Gas Card Drawings Daily until September 30

The American Red Cross Pacific Northwest Blood Services Region will be giving away a $100 gas card EVERY DAY through the rest of the month--that’s $1,000 in free gas.

The promotion ends on September 30, 2011, so there's still time to participate in this awesome deal! All blood and platelet donors who present to donate at any American Red Cross donor center or mobile blood drive throughout Oregon and Washington will be entered in a daily drawing for a $100 gas card.*

“At a time when gas prices are nearly $4.00 a gallon, we’re pleased to reward donors with a chance to win a gas card and fill their tank on us,” said region CEO Steve Stegeman.

For more information, or to schedule your donation, please call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org

* Must be 18 years of age to participate in drawings.