The Red Cross is adding two new blood centers in Idaho to meet the demands for blood and blood products. Thanks to a one-for-one challenge grant award from an anonymous donor, any gifts to support this expansion starting June 21, 2023, up to $225,000 will have double impact until that amount is met.

In June, the Red Cross opened a new blood donation center in Nampa and will add another donor center in Twin Falls in the next year. This expansion comes as Idaho’s population continues to surge, and with it, the need for blood products for cancer patients, accident victims, expecting mothers and countless others across the state. The new facilities are part of a $2 million capital campaign that aims to ensure a secure and stable blood supply for generations to come. Red Cross currently provides blood products to more than 30 hospitals and medical centers across Idaho and also supports the national blood supply.

The new 6,000-square-foot Nampa facility currently features eight donor beds but will grow to 17 beds in later phases, making it one of the largest Red Cross centers in the country in terms of volume collected. That facility will also collect platelets, which are critical to those undergoing cancer treatment.

The Nampa center is in addition to the Boise Blood Donation Center giving Treasure Valley residents another convenient way to donate lifesaving blood.

The Red Cross has also secured a location for a new donation center in Twin Falls. That facility will include six donor beds and serve as a staging site for Magic Valley blood drives. Currently, Red Cross teams commute from Boise to Twin Falls-area drives so this new facility will reduce those costs. Magic Valley donors contribute significant amounts of blood despite a relatively small population, making this a strategic location for expansion.

To learn more about the Idaho expansion campaign and take advantage of this challenge grant opportunity, visit redcross.org/bloodsaveslivesID.

Montana upgrades

Red Cross is also upgrading two Montana blood collection facilities. In November, Red Cross unveiled a new donor center in Bozeman that accommodates two more donor beds, state-of-the-art technology and additional staff. 

Major upgrades are also under way at the Great Falls Donor Center and Laboratory. This project will improve the donor experience and make it more efficient to process and distribute lifesaving blood.

Blood collected at drives across Montana comes back to Great Falls for testing before being delivered to hospitals across the state. This facility hasn’t seen a renovation of this magnitude since the 1970s, and these upgrades will benefit hospitals and blood recipients across Montana.

To learn more and support these upgrades, visit redcross.org/bloodsaveslivesMT.