Donate blood locally next week

Donors who want their blood to stay local should donate at the Regional West blood drive on Aug. 14. This drive, coordinated by the Cheyenne County Ladies Chamber will take place at the Cheyenne County Community Center from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Regional West is only able to hold these drives during limited hours.

“They’re a small center and the ladies that do the actual drawing of the blood have to go back and work the blood so they can’t change their hours,” said Diane Scott, Ladies Chamber blood drive coordinator.

Because many community members who wish to donate blood can’t make it during Regional West’s limited hours, the chamber also holds drives with United Blood Services throughout the year. Although UBS formerly supplied Sidney Regional Medical Center’s blood, this changed about three years ago because the blood was coming from as far away as Montana which made things difficult during emergency situations. Now SRMC’s blood comes from Regional West in Scottsbluff.

“I want people to be aware that when they’re donating blood that it’s not supplying our hospital through United Blood Services because I think there’s been some misunderstanding that way,” Scott said.

Because Sidney’s hospital is required to collect a certain amount of blood from the community, it’s important that people donate next week.

“We really need to get more people to donate at this one if at all possible,” Scott said.

When residents donate to Regional West, this guarantees blood in Sidney.

The Ladies Chamber has been holding blood drives in Sidney for around 10 years.

As a long-time blood donor, Scott took over coordination of area blood drives after the former coordinator resigned.

“It’s just, it’s such a simple way to help people in desperate need,” she said. “They say with every pint of blood you can save three lives and it’s just something that I think is very important and something that anybody could do. I just strongly believe in it.”

The chamber typically does three blood drives per year with each organization, making for six in the area each year. The local blood drives have many long-time returning donors.

“It’s amazing,” Scott said. “There’s a large contingent of elderly people that donate blood.”

There are also quite a few more young people donating as well, she said.

The Chamber’s last drive with United Blood Services took place on July 21. The last drive with Regional West was on May 29.

Although anyone in good health from ages 17 to 85 can donate blood, there are some restrictions. Donors must weigh at least 115 pounds and cannot have donated within the past six weeks. People taking most medications can still donate.