POMONA, CA (Oct. 4, 2023) — On Thursday, September 28, the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region dedicated the Blood Donor Room at the Pomona Blood, Platelet and Plasma Donation Center in the name of Tiffany Circle Los Angeles, a community of local women leaders who advance the organization’s humanitarian work through engagement and significant donations.
SEE: Photos from blood donation room naming event (Flickr)
Through the Tiffany Circle’s Blood Donor Room support, the Red Cross can maintain our robust biomedical services mission which collects and processes approximately 40 percent of the nation's blood supply, making it the largest single supplier of blood and blood products in the country.
More than 60 people gathered for the occasion at the Pomona Blood Center, the largest blood processing facility supplying the western United States with life-saving blood products. During the event, some attendees stopped by the newly named donation room to donate both whole blood and Power Red, answering the urgent need for more donors as we face a critical shortage in blood supplies nationwide.
In addition to the Tiffany Circle Donor Room dedication and plaque unveiling, attendees were given a rare, behind-the-scenes tour of one of the world’s largest blood centers, where upwards of 250,000 units of blood are collected annually and over 400,000 blood products distributed — resources essential for surgeries, cancer treatments, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. It is also the largest platelet collection site in California, collecting nearly 14,000 platelet products in the past year.
TIFFANY CIRCLE HISTORY
Since Clara Barton founded the Red Cross in 1881, the organization has harnessed the compassion and determination of women to deliver its lifesaving mission. For more than 15 years, Tiffany Circle has continued this legacy by advancing the Red Cross mission through investments of time, talent and treasure.
Founded in 2007, the Los Angeles Tiffany Circle is a community of local women leaders in business, entertainment, the arts and philanthropy. These powerful and compassionate women advance the organization’s humanitarian work by engaging and embracing women within their regions, across the country and around the world.
BLOOD SHORTAGE
When blood supplies are low, it can take weeks to rebound. The Red Cross must collect 10,000 additional blood products per week in October for the blood supply to reach sufficient levels to meet hospital & patient needs. We need donors now, especially type O blood, the most requested by hospitals and often the first to run out during shortages due to high demand.
WAYS TO DONATE BLOOD
By making an appointment to give blood or platelets, donors can keep the national blood supply from falling to shortage levels. Schedule an appointment to give by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information.
A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent were allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA.
