By David Purtell

david.purtell@salisburypost.com

The Red Cross needs blood donations after last month’s winter weather caused the organization to miss out on tens of thousands of blood and platelet donations.

Winter weather caused more than 26,000 donations to go uncollected in February.

Natividad Lewis, with the Red Cross in Charlotte, said there is an urgent need for blood in the Carolinas. She said about 150 blood drives were canceled due to the bad weather in February.

But, she said, there is always a need for blood, and that you never know when it will affect you personally.

Lewis said blood donated in the Carolinas is normally used locally but could end up anywhere in the country.

The Red Cross is urging donors of all types to make appointments in the coming days. The most in-demand blood types are O negative, A negative and B positive.

“Blood products are being delivered to hospitals almost as quickly as they come in,” Sharon Pitt, CEO for the Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region, said in a press release. “Donors who give now aren’t just restocking our shelves, they are making sure hope continues to be available for patients in need.”

Platelets help prevent massive blood loss and are a vital part of cancer and organ transplant treatments. But with a shelf life of just five days, these types of donations are crucial, Lewis said.

Upcoming Red Cross blood drives in Rowan County are scheduled for Sunday at Concordia Lutheran Church in China Grove from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and March 20 in Salisbury at E.D. Koontz Elementary School at 685 E. Ritchie Road from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Also, a blood drive will be held at the China Grove Church of God March 23, from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and March 24 at the Price Pharmacy in Granite Quarry from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Red Cross has donation centers that operate daily in Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Greensboro.

To find a donation opportunity and schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767. People can also download the free Red Cross Blood Donor app on their smartphone, which lets people find donation sites in their area and make appointments.

Contact Reporter David Purtell at 704-797-4264.