Media contact: Keith Paul
Regional Communications Director
keith.paul@redcross.org | 702-400-7680
SALT LAKE CITY (Dec. 31, 2025) — The American Red Cross of Utah is keeping its blood donation centers in Salt Lake City, Lehi and Layton open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to help stabilize a fragile blood supply impacted by holiday shortages.
“Blood donations collected during the holidays are often the difference between life and death for patients,” said Benjamin Donner, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Central and Southern Utah Chapter. “Whether it’s a car accident, a complicated childbirth or a cancer treatment, the need for blood doesn’t take a holiday.”
The holiday season is one of the most challenging times of the year to maintain blood supplies, as travel, busy schedules and seasonal illnesses often lead to fewer donations. The Red Cross is urging Utahns to take an hour out of their holiday plans to help ensure hospitals are ready for whatever emergencies arise.
Donation Hours and Locations
Utahns can donate blood at the following locations during special holiday hours on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, and New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026:
Donating blood is a simple act with an extraordinary impact. 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, LaytonUT or LehiUT to make an appointment at one of the donation centers.
Urgent Need for Type O, A Negative and B Negative Blood
While all blood types are needed, the Red Cross continues to see heightened demand for type O, A negative and B negative blood. O positive is the most frequently transfused blood type and is compatible with about 85% of patients, making it essential to maintaining a stable blood supply. O negative, the universal blood type, is often used in emergencies when there’s no time to determine a patient’s blood type.
B negative is one of the rarest blood types, found in less than 2% of the population, and patients with B negative blood can only receive transfusions from B negative or O negative donors. A negative blood is also uncommon, present in only about 6% of the population, and patients with this blood type can only receive A negative or O negative blood.
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.
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.
