Upcoming March Blood Drives

The American Red Cross urges donors to help the national blood supply recover from a severe blood shortage and empower their health by making an appointment to give blood or platelets in March. 

As a thank-you for helping save lives, successful donations will receive free A1C testing, commonly used to screen for pre-diabetes and diabetes in March (one result per calendar year).

New Red Cross data reveals 1 in 5 blood donors have elevated A1C levels — a sign that prediabetes and diabetes are prevalent among adults in generally good health. The findings are based on the first year of free A1C screening offered by the Red Cross, which provided results to more than 920,000 blood donors nationwide over three testing periods in 2025. Among donors with elevated A1C levels, 80% had readings indicating prediabetes — a condition that can often be reversed through lifestyle changes such as a balanced diet and regular exercise.have also made it tougher to transport vital blood products, which could potentially affect deliveries to hospitals in some locations.

Schedule a time to give blood by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS. 

Upcoming blood drives include:

• March 18 - Sylvan-Lucas High School in Sylvan Grove (8:30 AM to 2:30 PM)
• March 24 - Catholic Church in Minneapolis (11:30 AM to 5:30 PM)
• March 25 - Clay Center High School (8:30 AM to 2:30 PM)
• March 26 - Methodist Church in Courtland (11:30 AM to 5:30 PM)
• March 30 - Community Center in Cuba (12 PM to 6 PM)