American Red Cross looks to keep blood donations rolling after summer slowdown | Reading Area

READING, Pa. – Blood donations are picking back up from the summer lag, and the American Red Cross is looking to keep it going.

The organization hosted a blood drive Tuesday at Penn State Health Saint Joseph in Reading.

A local Red Cross official tells 69 News there’s no offseason for giving blood; it’s needed 24/7.

He urged people to donate blood or platelets at a drive or Red Cross location. He said it saves the lives of people with trauma injuries, scheduled surgeries, and other situations.

“Increasingly, it includes people who are getting blood transfusions as part of treatment for long-term illnesses. In particular, sickle cell disease is a disease that requires regular recurring blood transfusions as part of the ongoing treatment,” explained Dr. Peter Brown, executive director at American Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter.

The American Red Cross is offering incentives for donors.

Anyone who donates now through October 18 gets a $15 e-gift card to a place of their choice.