January 15, 2024 |
Photo – Donated blood – Courtesy pixabay.com
The Valley Service Organization is once again hosting its annual blood drive in Saratoga.
Tomorrow, January 16th, the Valley Service Organization, or VSO, is holding a community blood drive in the Platte Valley Community Center.
VSO member Roxie Baldwin said her organization sets up various community events around the Platte River Valley.
Every year, the VSO organizes a community blood drive. Baldwin said blood donation events have been going on for as long as she can remember. The VSO volunteer said she has been single-handedly running the blood drive in Saratoga for the last decade or so.
Baldwin said each year, a representative from Vitalant contacts her to set up the blood collection event. Vitalant is a non-profit organization that supplies over 900 hospitals across the country with blood products.
Baldwin said once she gets the call, she hangs advertisements around town and attempts to convince the previous year’s donors to give blood once again.
Baldwin said Vitalant is having staffing issues. The VSO member said the lack of available employees this year has caused the blood drive to be scaled back by almost half.
Baldwin said COVID fears caused a nation-wide shortage of blood and plasma. The VSO volunteer said hospitals across the country are desperate for blood.
Baldwin explained the blood donation process. The VSO member said Vitalant staff will test to ensure donors are healthy enough to give blood. Once everything checks out, Baldwin said the blood draw can begin.
Baldwin said donors should be properly hydrated before giving blood because it makes it easier to find their veins.
The VSO volunteer said the blood collected from tomorrow’s donation event will go to either Rock Springs or Cheyenne for processing.
Baldwin said she appreciates everyone that has donated in the past and will donate this year.
The annual Valley Service Organization blood drive is tomorrow, January 16th, from 12:30 to 5:30 pm in the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga. Appointments are required.
As of Friday morning, Baldwin said she had filled 29 of the 30 available appointments. Baldwin said to call her at 329-6332 to sign up for the last blood donation slot.
