Media contact: Keith Paul
Regional Communications Director
keith.paul@redcross.org | 702-400-7680
SALT LAKE CITY (Dec. 24, 2025) — While most of Utah celebrates Christmas morning at home, the American Red Cross of Utah will be working to help ensuring patients in need receive lifesaving platelet donations. On Christmas Day, donation centers in Salt Lake City and Lehi will open their doors to collect platelets — a critical blood component used to treat patients undergoing cancer treatments, surgeries and other serious medical care.
Platelets, the tiny cell fragments in blood that help with clotting, are in constant demand but have a shelf life of just five days. This short window makes regular donations vital to maintain hospital supplies. The holiday season often brings a decline in donations, even as patient needs remain constant, making holiday platelet collections especially critical.
“Christmas is a time for compassion and generosity, and donating platelets is one of the most meaningful ways to make a difference,” said Heidi Ruster, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region. “Even a few hours of your time on Christmas morning can bring hope and healing to patients and their families. It’s a powerful reminder of the true spirit of the season.”
Donation Centers Open Christmas Morning
The following Red Cross donation centers will be open on Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.:
How to Schedule an Appointment
The Red Cross of Utah encourages everyone to consider giving platelets this Christmas and beyond. It’s a meaningful way to express gratitude and bring hope to someone in need. Donors can schedule an appointment through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting redcross.org/GiveBlood or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Use sponsor codes SaltLakeCityUT or LehiUT to make an appointment at one of the donation centers. If immediate donation opportunities are unavailable, donors are encouraged to schedule appointments for future dates to help maintain a steady blood and platelet supply.
Special Holiday Thank-You Gifts
Donors who give between Dec. 19, 2025, and Jan. 4, 2026, will receive an exclusive Red Cross long-sleeved T-shirt, while supplies last. See RedCrossBlood.org/Gifts for details. Additionally, those who donate between Jan. 1-25, 2026, will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LX in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.
What to Expect When Donating Platelets
Platelet donation, also known as apheresis, is a specialized process that separates platelets from the blood and returns the remaining components—plasma, red cells and white cells—back to the donor. The procedure takes about two hours, during which donors can relax, watch a movie or listen to music. Platelets can be donated every seven days, up to 24 times a year.
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 nonprofit 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 follow us on social media.
