LOS ANGELES, March 3, 2022 — The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region is excited to announce the grand opening of the Burbank Blood and Platelet Donation Center. On Friday, March 4, the donation center will officially open its doors and begin collecting blood and platelets for patients, such as those battling cancer, accident victims, transplant recipients and those living with sickle cell disease.
The Burbank center will provide a central location for donors, who used to have to travel to Woodland Hills or Pasadena as the closest locations. At the beginning of the year, the Red Cross was facing a national crisis because the blood supply had reached unprecedented low levels. The opening of this center, and the new center in Culver City, is part of an effort to provide convenient options for donors and top-of-the-line facilities that can process blood and blood products at a quicker rate.
Media Availability
WHAT: The American Red Cross Burbank Blood and Platelet Donation Center opens its doors to offer donors a new opportunity to help save lives closer to home.
WHEN: Friday, March 4, 2022, 7 a.m. to noon
WHERE: 317 N Pass Ave., Burbank, CA
SPOKESPERSON: Joanne Nowlin – CEO, American Red Cross Los Angeles Region
To RSVP: Contact Marilyn.jimenez@redcross.org
In addition to blood, donors can also donate platelets, which is the first time this option is being offered in Burbank. Platelets are the clotting portion of blood and are primarily given to cancer patients. These tiny cells have a short shelf life – just five days from the time they are donated – so there is a constant, often critical, need for new and current donors to give to keep up with hospital demand for platelets.
Having a readily available blood supply is vital for patients whose survival depends on transfusions. Donating blood is essential to community health, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need. By making an appointment to give blood or platelets at the Burbank Blood and Platelet Donation Center, donors can feel good knowing that they may be helping patients not only in their community, but also their family and friends across the nation.
SEE: Photos of the new Burbank Blood and Platelet Donation Center (Flickr)
“From mothers experiencing childbirth complications to those facing trauma situations in the emergency room, many of us may be connected to someone who has relied on lifesaving blood products,” said Joanne Nowlin of the Los Angeles Red Cross Region. “We are excited to open our doors in Burbank to offer Angelenos this new opportunity to help provide hope, healing and access to treatment for patients in need.”
In addition to the Burbank Blood and Platelet Donation Center, individuals will also continue to be able to give blood at Red Cross blood drives across the Los Angeles community.
How to donate blood or platelets
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. 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.
As a thank-you, all those who come to give March 1-31 will receive a $10 e-gift card, thanks to Fanatics. Plus, those who come to donate in March will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to the 2022 MLB® All-Star Game® in Los Angeles, California.*
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, 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 deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
