Registration to donate blood on May 10 open now

The Lions Club of Winters and Vitalant are hosting a blood drive at the Winters Community Center, located at 201 Railroad Ave., on Monday, May 10, from 1 to 6 p.m. Community members are encouraged to make an appointment ahead of time to ensure social-distancing guidelines can be followed. To schedule an appointment contact Vitalant at 877-258-4825 or go to donors.vitalant.org, choose ‘Advanced Search’ and use blood drive code: SMFM164. Walk-ins will be welcomed if space allows at the time. This month, individuals who donate blood, platelets or plasma will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card via email. Donors must provide their email address to enable the gift card redemption. There is a limit of one gift card per a donor. Physical gift cards will not be distributed. Vitalant currently tests successful donations for COVID-19 antibodies to find donors who could help COVID-19 patients by donating convalescent plasma. Learn more at www.vitalant.org/antibodytest. Individuals intending to donate should bring a photo I.D., eat well and drink plenty of water prior to coming in to their appointment to donate blood. To be eligible, donors must be 16 years old — there is no upper age limit. Sixteen year olds must bring a signed Vitalant parental consent form found online at vitalant.org. Call in questions about eligibility requirements to 877-258-4825. Vitalant has strict protocols in place to ensure only healthy donors are giving blood, including taking temperatures upon check-in. They also require all donors to wear a face covering while in the facility. One-way valve masks are prohibited. Donors must bring their own cloth-based face covering in order to donate blood. Individuals who are currently unable to wear a face covering are asked to postpone their donation until the safety requirement is no longer required. For more information on donating visit www.vitalant.org.