Community Blood Center of the Carolinas Needs Donors to Fill Supply

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) has announced that there is a shortage of blood in the community, especially the O blood group (O positive and O negative types), and is urging O donors to donate blood as soon as possible.

“While much of the country is facing a summer shortage, our local community is also in short supply and we expect this to continue as we approach the July Fourth holiday,” said Martin Grable, president and CEO of the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas. “Summer is a particularly difficult time for all blood centers, supply drops and demand often goes up. CBCC is the blood supplier to 21 of the region’s hospitals. These hospitals and patients rely on local donors to meet the blood needs of our community. We need your help.”

According to CBCC, treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease continue as usual, while trauma often increases during the summer months, pushing demand up. People are busy during the summer and students – who account for about 20 percent of the blood supply – are out of school resulting in a drop in supply drops.

Anyone 16 and older who weighs at least 120 pounds is encouraged to donate at one of the five CBCC centers located in Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia, Hickory and Monroe or at one of CBCC’s many mobile blood drives, which can be found at www.carolinadonor.org. For more information or to make an appointment, call 704-972-4700.

The following are the CBCC Donor Center locations and hours:

Charlotte Center
4447 South Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28209
Sunday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday: 7:30am – 5:00pm
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 10:00am – 8:00pm

Concord Center
363 Church Street North, Suite 170, Concord, NC 28025
Saturday*, Sunday*, Monday: 7:30am – 5:00pm
Tuesday, Thursday: 10:00am – 8:00pm
Closed: Wednesday and Friday
* The Concord Center is open the second and fourth Saturday and the first and fifth Sunday.

Gastonia Center
2524 East Franklin Blvd, Suite E, Gastonia, NC 28056
Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday: 7:30am – 5:00pm
Monday, Wednesday: 10:00am – 8:00pm
Closed: Thursday and Friday

Hickory Center
2217 Highway 70 SE, Hickory, NC 28602
Sunday: 7:30am – 5:00pm
Monday: 10:00am – 8:00pm
Tuesday: Alternates between 7:30am – 5:00pm and 10:00am – 8:00pm
Closed: Wednesday-Saturday

Monroe Center
600 Hospital Drive, located in the Pavilion area, Monroe, NC 28112
Tuesday and Friday: 7:30am – 5:00pm
Closed: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday

About Community Blood Center of the Carolinas
The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is a non-profit community-based blood center and the primary blood supplier to 21 regional hospitals, serving 16 North Carolina and three South Carolina counties. CBCC focuses exclusively on gathering red blood cells, platelets and plasma from volunteer donors to save locallives – every drop of blood collected remains here to help people in the Carolinas. CBCC is a member of America’s Blood Centers, North America’s largest network of community-based, independent blood centers providing more than 50% of the nation’s blood supply.

For more information on hosting a blood drive or donating blood in your area, visit www.cbcc.us or call 704-972-4700.

Follow the Community Blood center of the Carolinas on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BloodCenter and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CBCCarolinas.>

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