A renewed call for blood donations ahead of Memorial Day weekend

Spring blood donations are lagging following a difficult winter season according to Memorial Blood Centers, which adds to the strain hospitals feel ahead of the summer trauma season.

Corey Bianchi-Rossi with Memorial Blood Centers says summer presents a unique challenge for blood collection.

"We actually do a lot of blood drives at high schools and at universities, and obviously in the summertime those schools are no longer in session," Bianchi-Rossi explains. "So we do our best to supplement those with different types of drives the best we can, but it does become a little bit more of a challenge."

Bianchi-Rossi adds summer is the start of "trauma season" highlighted by increased accidents, emergency surgeries and more lifesaving blood transfusions.

"We find ourselves almost close to 700 units below normal collections already and that's as we approach Memorial Day and obviously that Minnesota summer, which historically then becomes more of a difficult time for collections," she adds.

Memorial Blood Centers says donating blood is one way for people to give back to their community.

"Right now, to be honest with you, I think people are looking for something tangible that they can do to help their neighbor, to be a part of a community, and blood donation is one way that it can happen in one hour," Bianchi-Rossi adds.

You can learn more about donating blood through Memorial Blood Center here.