Rotary Hosting July Blood Drive

The Whitehall Rotary Club is sponsoring a blood drive later this month.

Vitalant Donor Recruitment Representative Shawn Muffich stressed the importance of the blood drive scheduled for July 14 from Noon to 4 p.m. at the Whitehall Community Center.

"It's vital we keep our blood supply strong now and throughout the year. Generally, during the summer months, we see a decrease in donors due to summer vacations, surgeries, schools are not in session, etc. This year in particular we started the summer lower than normal and have seen less donors because of the COVID pandemic.," she said. "Mobile blood drives bring in over 60% of our blood supply, and with business, schools, and churches closed we have had to cancel hundreds of drives over the last several months. The demand for blood increases in the summer months due to increased traumas as well as the everyday usage for cancer patients and surgeries."

Muffich also praised the Rotary Club and other organizations throughout the state for stepping up and hosting blood drives.

"It is incredibly important that civic organizations step up and help the community out. We are very fortunate to have Wayne volunteering for us. Civic organizations help recruit donors and find places to host blood drives in communities. Vitalant is the local nonprofit blood provider for 30 hospitals across MT. We need to collect over 150-200 units of blood every day to meet the needs of our communities and without organizations like the Rotary in Whitehall we would not be able to do that," she said.

Starting June 1, Vitalant began testing all successful donations to the COVID antibody.

To sign up for the drive, please contact Wayne Peterson at 406-287-3487, call 1-877-258-4825 or visit http://www.vitalant.org.