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Blood donors are a pretty incredible group of community members, and The Community Blood Center (CBC) is celebrating them on this World Blood Donor Day, Monday, June 14, 2021. This is a day recognized across the world to share thanks to donors and raise awareness of the need for dedicated blood donors.

“We’re honored to know so many amazing community members who continue to answer the call to save lives by donating blood,” said Kristine Belanger, Vice President, Operations and Chief Operating Officer, CBC. “Today is about giving thanks to all the donors who step up and support our community, our nation, and our world.”

World Blood Donor Day has been celebrated since 2004. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it was designated, “as an annual global event by the fifty-eighth World Health Assembly in 2005.”

Each year, World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14, the birthday of Karl Landsteiner – an Austrian biologist and physician.

“Landsteiner discovered the ABO blood groups in 1901, developed the modern system of classification of blood groups, and identified, in 1937, together with Alexander S. Wiener, the Rhesus factor, thus enabling physicians to transfuse blood without endangering a patient’s life,” according to the WHO.

The summer months are especially challenging for blood donation. People are often spending their days outside, on vacation, with family and friends, and enjoying other summertime festivities. Schedules can fill up quickly and blood donation doesn’t always continue to be a priority. CBC encourages community members to fit just about an hour into their summer to donate blood and help save lives.

Blood donation is critical:

• Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• 1 in 7 people entering a hospital will need blood.
• Blood that is transfused directly to a patient must come from a volunteer blood donor. This is why donors are not paid. Blood cannot be made or manufactured.
• It only takes about one hour to donate and one donation can save up to three lives.
• CBC is the sole provider of blood, platelets, and plasma to nearly 30 hospitals throughout the Midwest.

To schedule a donation, visit communityblood.org or call (800) 280-4102.