January is National Blood Donor Month, and the American Red Cross is encouraging donors to start the New Year with a resolution to help meet the urgent need for blood and platelet donations. Give more life in 2019 by becoming a regular blood or platelet donor!

January can be a difficult time to collect enough blood and platelet donations to meet patient needs, due to many donors’ busy schedules, blood drive cancellations caused by inclement weather, and seasonal illnesses making some donors temporarily unable to give. The Red Cross must collect more than 2,500 platelet donations and about 13,000 blood donations every day to serve patients at some 2,500 hospitals nationwide. Make plans to give now, and help ensure that patients won’t have to worry about the availability of blood this winter.

A few facts about blood and platelets…

  • Blood and platelets are needed for accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, individuals receiving treatment for leukemia or cancer, and patients with sickle cell disease.
  • Type O positive and O negative donors are especially needed. Type O positive is the most transfused blood type, and can be tranfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. Type O negative is the universal blood type – the one emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations.
  • Platelets must be transfused within just five days after donation, so there is a constant – often critical – need for new and current donors to give to keep up with hospital demand. Platelets are a key clotting component of blood often needed by cancer patients. By giving platelets regularly, donors can help patients kick cancer and recover from other life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
  • Blood can be safely donated every 56 days, and platelets can be given every seven days – up to 24 times a year.

This January, the Red Cross is excited to offer a special incentive to help increase blood and platelet donations and reward our generous donors during National Blood Donor Month. All presenting donors who come to give blood or platelets at participating Red Cross blood drives and donation centers during January 2019 will receive a $5 Dunkin’ Gift Gard by email!*

Make an appointment to give now

All eligible individuals are urged to make an appointment to give now by using the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donation appointments are encouraged to reduce possible wait times at blood donations sites. Donors can also save time by using RapidPass® to complete the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of donation, from a mobile device or computer. To complete a RapidPass, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass.

*Red Cross donors in CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI and VT who receive this offer and come in to donate during promotional time frame are eligible (Jan. 1-31, 2019). Limit one (1) per donor. This offer is non-transferable and not redeemable for cash. Offer is subject to change at any time in the promotional time frame. Instructions on how to redeem the gift certificate voucher will be emailed to the address listed in your American Red Cross donor profile approximately 30 days after an attempted donation. The gift certificate voucher can be redeemed at GiftCertificates.com. © 2019, DD IP Holder LLC. The Dunkin’ trademarks, logos and designs are registered trademarks of DD IP Holder LLC and used under license. Dunkin’ Donuts is not a sponsor of this promotion. The Dunkin' Gift Card is subject to complete terms and conditions, which can be found at https://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dunkindonuts/en/help/terms.html#ddcard