SHREVEPORT, La. — LifeShare Blood Center is seeking 1,800 donors during its annual Thanks for Giving campaign Nov. 17-21 as it prepares for a holiday period that can strain the regional blood supply.
The nonprofit collected donations from 1,630 donors during last year’s campaign. This year’s goal represents an increase of about 10%.
People who successfully donate blood, platelets or plasma during the promotion will receive a fleece blanket and a $15 voucher toward the purchase of a ham or turkey. The campaign will run at LifeShare donor centers and mobile blood drives throughout Louisiana, east Texas and south Arkansas.
According to LifeShare, Thanksgiving week is among the most challenging periods of the year for maintaining the blood supply because holiday travel and family schedules reduce donations while hospitals’ need for blood continues.
“Blood donors are the reason patients across our region have access to lifesaving care,” said Mandi Johnson, director of community engagement at LifeShare Blood Center. “Thanksgiving is about gratitude, and no one deserves our thanks more than the donors who show up for patients they may never meet.”
Founded in Shreveport in 1942, LifeShare is a nonprofit blood collection agency serving health care needs across the three-state region.
Donor center and mobile drive information is available at lifeshare.org/give or by calling 800-256-5433. Promotion details and terms are available at lifeshare.org/promos.