Orange Blossom 4-H club member, Isabella Morales (Izzy) is currently battling leukemia. She is a student at Oakdale High School. She will need blood products as part of her treatment for leukemia. Blood donations help patients like Izzy continue their fight against cancer.

The Red Cross has confirmed her blood drive date for Friday, June 19 at the Bianchi Community Center, 110 S. Second Ave., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To support social distancing, appointments are required. Make an appointment at Redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code “Izzy” or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. All those eligible in the community are asked to donate in honor of Izzy and help save lives. If you cannot donate on that day, you may contact the Red Cross to donate and use the code “Izzy”.

“We also want to start a social media campaign to promote this. Please use the hashtags: #dizzyforizzy or #walkwithizzy,” said 4-H Club reporter Cailee Flood. “Show yourself being silly, making yourself dizzy … get creative. Then challenge a friend to do it too! If dizzy isn’t your jam, just walk and talk about the event. Let’s make this catch on to get as many blood donations as we can. Please join us to walk with Izzy, her fight is our fight.”

In addition to donations for Izzy, the American Red Cross currently has an urgent need for blood donations to prevent another blood shortage as hospitals resume surgical procedures and patient treatments that were temporarily paused earlier this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthy individuals who are feeling well are asked to make an appointment to donate in the weeks and months ahead by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

In recent weeks, hospital demand for blood products has grown by 30 percent after sharply declining in early April amid this rapidly changing and complex public health crisis. At the same time, blood drives continue to be canceled as many businesses and community organizations remain closed. Donors are needed to make and keep scheduled appointments to help meet the current need.

Thanks to Amazon, all those who come in to give during the month of June will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email.

“Blood donors have played a vital role in the lives of patients who have needed lifesaving transfusions during this pandemic, and patients continue to depend on donors each and every day,” said Paul Sullivan, senior vice president, Red Cross Blood Services. “The Red Cross appreciates the support of those who rolled up a sleeve to give in recent months, but the need doesn’t stop. We need the public’s help to avoid another blood shortage this summer.”

It’s important to remember that red blood cells must be transfused within 42 days of donation and platelets within just five days. So, they must constantly be replenished. There is no known end date in this fight against coronavirus, and the Red Cross urgently needs the help of donors and blood drive hosts to ensure blood products are readily available for patients.

Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions – including temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings for donors and staff – have been implemented to ensure the health of all those in attendance. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.

All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit them on Twitter at @RedCross.