Local blood drives to help meet urgent need for donations

Gemini Fit in Solana Beach is hosting a blood drive in partnership with the San Diego Blood Bank on Friday, March 19 from 12 p.m.‑ 5:30 pm. Gemini Fit is located at 742 Genevieve St.

Additionally Crunch Fitness Carmel Valley will also host a blood drive at the Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch on Wednesday, March 31 from 1 p.m. to 6:30 pm. The bloodmobile will be parked by Chase Bank and UCSD Healthcare.

San Diego Blood Bank’s Mobile blood bank will be in Solana Beach and Carmel Valley and donors are sought.

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The San Diego Blood Bank has an urgent need for all blood types as local hospitals continue to re-schedule elective surgeries delayed due to COVID-19 and utilize even more blood for stat orders and standard surgeries.

The supply is critically low and all blood types are needed.

“We are down to a 1–2-day supply of most types and it’s best to keep at least a 7-day supply available” said David Wellis, CEO, San Diego Blood Bank in a release. “For various reasons, hospital usage has increased, so we need the community to make an appointment to donate now for local hospital patients that need it.”

Appointments are required and available by visiting SanDiegoBloodBank.org or by calling (619) 400-8251. San Diego Blood Bank currently operates eight local donor centers and 10 bloodmobiles—the closest donor center is in Carmel Valley’s Piazza Carmel at 3880 Valley Centre Drive.

—-Karen Billing