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Red Cross desperate for blood with less than 3-day nationwide supply

After a slow June and an even slower 4th of July, the Red Cross is now desperate for blood.

The Red Cross is desperate for your blood.

It’s a situation the group typically finds itself in this time of year, but this year the need is possibly even greater.

The group says June was an especially lean month, bringing in 24,000 fewer donations than usual.

The 4th of July holiday was also slow.

“Especially when the 4th of July falls in the middle of the week it’s hard on us. It’s easy for people to take off Friday, Saturday and Sunday and those are days donation centers are open collecting donations,” Red Cross spokesperson Sue Thesenga says.

Right now, they have less than a 3-day supply of blood.

Thesenga says a 5-day supply is normal.

"If we go any lower than that patient care will be jeopardized,” Thesenga says.

They're now asking newbies to give it a try and donating vets to donate again.

You can do it every 56 days, up to 6 times a year, and if you're thinking about it they say now's the time.

The Red Cross has set up additional blood drives this month to bring in more blood.

Several donation centers will also have extended hours this week.

KARE-11 is also hosting its Health Fair 11 Summer Blood Drive on Tuesday July 23rd from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the KARE-11 studios in Golden Valley.

The event will be staffed by the Memorial Blood Centers.

If you can't make it on the 23rd, here's a list of some of the Red Cross centers and drives taking place in our area this month:

DONATION CENTERS:

Bloomington Area Blood Donation Center

505 W. 98th St., Bloomington

Minneapolis Area Blood Donation Center

1201 W. River Parkway, Third Floor

North Suburban Blood Donation Center

1160 W. County Road E, Arden Hills

St. Paul Area Blood Donation Center

176 Robert St. S.

ADDITIONAL BLOOD DRIVES

Andover

7/11/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Constance Free Church, 16150 Crosstown Blvd.

7/30/2019: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Grace Lutheran Church, 13655 Round Lake Blvd.

Anoka

7/22/2019: 1:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Grace Life Church, 822 W. Main St.

7/25/2019: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., Anoka Hennepin School District, 2727 N. Ferry St.

7/26/2019: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Anoka County Fair, 3200 St. Francis Blvd.

7/29/2019: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Mount Olive Lutheran Church, 700 Western

7/29/2019: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Anoka United Methodist Church, 850 South St.

Blaine

7/9/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Club West, 11211 Club W. Parkway

Bloomington

7/17/2019: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., Prime Lending, 8201 Norman Center Drive

7/22/2019: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Minnesota Center, 7760 France Ave. S.

7/26/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Evergreen Church, 2300 E. 88th St.

Brooklyn Center

7/29/2019: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sign-Zone Inc., 6850 Shingle Creek Parkway

Columbia Heights

7/16/2019: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Columbia Heights VFW Post 230, 4446 Central Ave. NE

7/31/2019: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Murzyn Hall, 530 Mill St. NE

Coon Rapids

7/16/2019: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Coon Rapids VFW, 1919 Coon Rapids Blvd.

7/22/2019: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Mercy Hospital, 4050 Coon Rapids Blvd. NW

7/25/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Epiphany Catholic Church, 1900 111th Ave. NW

Brooklyn Park

7/9/2019: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Pine Grove Bible Church, 4000 101st Ave. N.

7/10/2019: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., PrairieCare, 9400 Zane Ave. N.

7/30/2019: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Community Activity Center (CAC), 5600 85th Ave.

7/31/2019: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., LA Fitness, 6600 96th Lane N.

Crystal

7/24/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Crystal Community Center, 4800 Douglas Dr. N.

East Bethel

7/20/2019: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., City Hall, 2241 221st Ave. NE

7/30/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 19001 Jackson St. NE

Eden Prairie

7/16/2019: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Cigna, 11095 Viking Drive

7/30/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 13600 Technology Drive

Edina

7/30/2019: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Coughlan Companies, Inc., 5050 Lincoln Drive

7/31/2019: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., Lund Food Holdings Inc., 4100 W. 50th St.

7/31/2019: 3 p.m. - 8 p.m., Our Lady of Grace, 5051 Eden Ave.

Excelsior

7/21/2019: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 322 2nd St.

7/25/2019: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., City of Tonka Bay, 4901 Manitou Road

Ham Lake

7/9/2019: 1:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Family of Christ Lutheran Church, 16345 Polk St. NE

Maple Grove

7/10/2019: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Allina Health Maple Grove Clinic, 7840 Vinewood Lane N.

7/20/2019: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., David Weekley Homes, 8144 Central Park Way N.

Minneapolis

7/12/2019: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, One Veterans Drive

7/19/2019: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, One Veterans Drive

7/23/2019: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Accounts Receivable Services LLC, 6160 Summit Drive N.

7/24/2019: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Aquatennial Blood Drive, IDS Center, 80 S. 8th St.

7/25/2019: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Aquatennial Blood Drive, IDS Center, 80 S. 8th St.

7/26/2019: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, One Veterans Drive

7/26/2019: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Aquatennial Blood Drive, IDS Center, 80 S. 8th St.

7/26/2019: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Lunds & Byerlys, 1450 W. Lake St.

7/27/2019: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Loring Park, 1382 Willow St.

Minnetonka

7/29/2019: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Target, 4848 County Road 101

7/29/2019: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Minnetonka High School, 18301 Highway 7

New Hope

7/11/2019: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Catholic Community of St. Joseph, 8701 36th Ave. N.

Osseo

7/17/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Osseo City Hall, 415 Central Ave.

Plymouth

7/12/2019: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Culver's, 6175 Quinwood Lane N.

7/31/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners, 1605 County Road 101N

Richfield

7/24/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., St. Richard's Catholic Church, 7540 Penn Ave. S.

Rogers

7/25/2019: 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Rogers Community Room and Fire Station, 21201 Memorial Drive

St. Francis

7/29/2019: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 3812 229th Ave. NW

Spring Lake Park

7/31/2019: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Kraus Hartig VFW Post 6587, 8100 Pleasant View Drive

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