U.P. Regional Blood Center asking for donations in honor of National Blood Donor Month

MARQUETTE — January is National Blood Donor Month and blood collection sites across the nation are asking for both blood and platelet donations. The U.P. Regional Blood Center is one of the many places asking for donations.

In order to donate, volunteers just need be healthy, hydrated, eat within a couple of hours, weigh at least 110 lbs. and bring a picture ID. Donors must be seventeen years of age or older, or sixteen with parental consent. Factors that could make volunteers ineligible to donate include being ill, being underweight or taking certain medications, among other factors.

Sallie Coron, the coordinator of blood collections for the U.P. Regional Blood Center has reported a steady amount of donations for the month so far.

“We’ve had a lot of information out there about the need for blood, but it doesn’t go away in a couple of weeks, the need always continues throughout the year,” said Coron. “It only comes from volunteer blood donors.”

The U.P. Regional Blood Center has locations in Marquette, Iron Mountain, Escanaba, Sault Ste. Marie and Hancock and serve 13 U.P. hospitals.

For more information on these locations, click HERE. To set up a blood drive or make a blood donation appointment, contact the U.P. Regional Blood Center at (906) 225-4610.