Red Cross needs donors of all blood types

MANCHESTER — The American Red Cross urges people of all races and ethnicities to give blood or platelets to help increase the diversity of the blood supply.

The majority of blood types fall into one of the major blood groups. However, for patients with rare blood types or those who receive regular blood transfusions, blood must be matched closely, beyond the primary A, B, O and AB blood types, to reduce the risk of developing complications from transfusion therapy. The best match may be someone of the same racial or ethnic group.

Donors of all blood types, as well as all races and ethnicities, are needed to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse patient population. Appointments can be made by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 800-RED CROSS, or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on an Alexa Echo device.

Those who come to give blood or platelets during the month of October will automatically be entered for a chance to win one of five $500 gift cards.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities in the Lakes Region:

Laconia

Sept. 27, 12:30-6 p.m., Leavitt Park House, 334 Elm St.

Oct. 3, 12:30-5:30 p.m., Lakes Region General Hospital, 80 Highland St.

Oct. 4, 1-6 p.m., Woodside Building, 227 Ledges Drive

Oct. 4, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Lakes Region Community College, 379 Belmont Road

Oct. 5, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Penny Pitou Travel, 55 Canal St.

Barnstead

Sept. 27, noon-5 p.m., Barnstead Fire and Rescue Station 1, 305 Parade Road

Moultonborough

Sept. 27, noon-5:30 p.m., Moultonborough Lions Club, 139 Old Route 109A

Plymouth

Sept. 30, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Common Man Inn, 231 Main St.

Oct. 10, noon-5:30 p.m., Plymouth State University, 24 High St.

Oct. 11, noon-5:30 p.m., Plymouth State University, 24 High St.

Bristol

Oct. 1, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Freudenberg-NOK, 450 Pleasant St./Route 104

Wolfeboro

Oct. 2, noon-5:30 p.m., Brewster Academy, 41 Academy Drive

New Hampton

Oct. 3, 2-7 p.m., New Hampton School, 70 Main St.

Tilton

Oct. 5, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tanger Outlet Center Building 3, 120 Laconia Road

Alton

Oct. 11, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., American Legion, 164 Wolfeboro Highway

Blood drives are also happening in Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack and Rockingham counties, in Atkinson, Bedford, Berlin, Bretton Woods, Bow, Concord, Conway, Danbury, Goffstown, Gorham, Greenfield, Hanover, Henniker, Hollis, Jaffrey, Keene, Lebanon, Lincoln, Littleton, Litchfield, Madison, Manchester, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Pelham, Peterborough, Sanbornville, South Sutton, Weare, Whitefield, and Woodsville.