Blood bank asks for donations ahead of Hurricane Irma

SunCoast Blood Bank is in a critical need for all blood types and platelets as Hurricane Irma advances on the area.

The blood bank is asking all eligible donors to give blood and platelets either Thursday or by 2 p.m. Friday when the donation centers will be shut down due to the storm.

Donation centers and their hours include Bayshore Shopping Center, 6026 14th St. W., Bradenton, which will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and 1731 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., which will be open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

“We must ensure the well-being of local patients by having an ample supply of blood products on the hospital shelves before Irma makes landfall in Florida,” Jayne Giroux, a SunCoast Blood Bank spokeswoman, said in explaining the urgency of the call for blood products.

“Platelets, all blood types, and especially universal type O negative blood, are urgently needed at this time,” Giroux added.

Donors can schedule an appointment or walk in at any SunCoast donor center or bloodmobile, Giroux said.

Information: scbb.org or 1-866-97-BLOOD.

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Blood bank asks for donations ahead of Hurricane Irma."