Arizona’s largest blood drive is Sunday at Tempe Center for the Arts, at a time when blood is needed all across the state.
That’s because blood donations drop substantially during the holidays. Sue Thew is with United Blood Services of Arizona, which is holding the drive. The nonprofit supplies blood to 90 percent of hospitals in the state. Thew said the lack of available blood is partially because of offices and high schools being closed – prime spots for blood drives.
"So, it’s not as much that people are needing more blood, but that our donor base drops substantially," she said. "And so when you haven’t got people donating blood, then the blood is not there for the hospitals, but the emergencies still happen."
Since Christmas Eve, hospital orders for blood have outpaced donations two-to-one, Thew said.
"What’s worse is the lowest time of the year for blood donations is followed by the busiest time of the year for blood transfusions," she continued, "because as soon as the holidays are over, people schedule those non-emergency surgeries."
The Sunday drive will take place from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. All donors will receive a free pizza, as well as a voucher for a one-day pass to the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
