The next American Red Cross blood drive at Alton Memorial Hospital will be from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, in the AMH café meeting rooms. To register, go HERE. 

All who donate blood to the Red Cross during the month of October will receive a $10 Amazon gift card and will automatically be entered for a chance to win a $5,000 gift card. For more information, visit HERE.The Red Cross needs donors of all blood types — and especially type O blood — to give blood to help meet daily hospital demands. People with Type O blood are considered universal donors, meaning their blood can be used to transfuse people with any other blood type.

Red blood cells are given to bleeding patients and used during surgeries. They are used by patients with sickle cell disease or patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis, who don’t make their own healthy red blood cells. Plasma provides coagulation factors to patients, such as those with liver disease or those on anticoagulants.