Blood drives abound this holiday season

Posted on December 4, 2025 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Jim McIntyre, American Red Cross volunteer

In Northern Ohio, we’ve experienced weather-related school closings, road closures and traffic accidents – and it’s not even mid-December!

As winter approaches, the chance of severe weather can compound an already challenging time for blood donors who are busy with holiday preparations and travel plans. Seasonal illnesses can also keep donors from making or keeping an appointment to give.

That’s why the American Red Cross schedules several highly visible blood drives throughout the region during the month of December – to give busy donors a variety of days, times and locations where they can roll up a sleeve and help bring hope and healing to patients in need.

“People with cancer and so many other conditions could not be treated without the blood they need to have every day,” said Dr. Zaher Otrock of Cleveland Clinic. It’s just one of the many quotes I’ve gathered while visiting blood drives and talking to donors over the past 10 years.

“I was in a car crash in 2006 and needed 15 pints of blood. I’m giving back,” said Christopher Haddock.

“This is my way to give of myself to help someone in need.” – Sylvia Stewart-Lumkin

“I love that I get to save lives and find out my blood type.” – first-time donor Meredith Reinhard

 “My mom taught me to give back.” - Bridget Miller

“Christ gave His blood for everyone, the least I can do is help a few.” - Gary Pfeiffer

 “It doesn’t take a lot of time and it’s really, really, rewarding.” – Mark Fleischer

There’s still time to help save lives this year. During this season of giving, give something that means something and make an appointment to give blood or platelets by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767.)

OR…

Come to one of the following holiday season blood drives:

17th Annual Holiday Blood Drive – Cuyahoga Falls 
Tuesday, December 16 from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sheraton Akron/Cuyahoga Falls 
1989 Front St.
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221

Annual Holiday Blood Drives – Mahoning Valley
Monday, December 22 from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Packard Music Hall
1703 Mahoning Ave.
Warren, Ohio 44483
Tuesday, December 23 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Stambaugh Auditorium
1000 Fifth Ave.
Youngstown, Ohio 44504

In Memory of Harvey J. Steele Blood Drive – Toledo
Tuesday, December 23 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. 
Hilton Garden Inn Toledo/Perrysburg.

Create a new holiday tradition and help spread comfort and support lifesaving care.

Learn how to save a life during National CPR + AED Week

Posted on June 1, 2023 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

The basketball referee crumbled to the floor of the court, lifeless. The game between the Glass City Wranglers of Toledo and the Jamestown Jackals of New York came to an abrupt halt, as players and spectators wondered what was wrong.

Myles Copeland did not wait.

Myles is a Toledo firefighter – and was playing with the Wranglers during his off hours when referee John Scully suffered cardiac arrest – something Myles was trained to treat. He immediately began CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, performing chest compressions while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical personnel, and that likely saved John’s life.

Myles Copeland won an Acts of Courage award from the American Red Cross of Western Lake Erie for his swift intervention, as did Lt. Jim Schulty, also with the Toledo Fire Department. Jim performed CPR on a fellow hockey player after his heart stopped beating and is also credited with saving a life.

These are just two examples of the value of knowing how to perform CPR, and there’s no better time to highlight these stores, as National CPR + AED Awareness week begins today. And while Myles and Jim are professional firefighters and have had on-the-job training, anyone can be trained to help save lives with CPR and an AED.

More than 350,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest annually, but only 9% survive.

Every second counts when responding to a cardiac arrest. If you see someone suddenly collapse, call 911, send someone for the AED and begin CPR.

That’s what Lindsey and Nicole Bechter did while they were serving as referees at a volleyball court in Cuyahoga Falls last summer. A player collapsed, and the sisters took turns performing CPR until the ambulance arrived.

Even if you aren’t trained, doing chest compressions (pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest) is better than doing nothing. It’s what Jim Kuhn did. The bus driver for the city of Wadsworth helped keep a passenger alive by pushing down on the man’s chest after he collapsed when trying to board the bus last November. For their lifesaving actions, Jim, Lindsey and Nicole received Acts of Courage awards from the Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley.

Acts of Courage award winner Jim Kuhn, center, with board member Ryan Lang, left, and committee chair Tara Silva, right.

You can get trained by visiting redcross.org/take-a-class. At the very least, learn how to perform hands- only CPR.

Every second counts in cardiac arrest. If you see someone collapse without warning, know your “Cardiac Arrest 1‐2‐3.”

Call 9‐1‐1 and get the AED
Start CPR
Use an AED

CPRSavesLives

Edited and posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Community members come together to give back this holiday season

Posted on December 28, 2021 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

By Samantha Pudelski, American Red Cross Volunteer

The American Red Cross of Northern Ohio held holiday blood drives across the region, providing an opportunity for donors to give the gift of life for people in need during this holiday season.

The drives were held between December 14th and December 23rd at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, the Hilton Garden Inn in Twinsburg, the Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls, the Hilton Garden Inn in Perrysburg and Stambaugh Auditorium and Packard Music Hall in Youngstown.

The Red Cross put the call out to the public, encouraging them to donate at our holiday drives, and our community members answered. Across all of the holiday blood drives, 1,240 pints of blood were donated to provide critical help for patients across the region.

Each donation can help up to three patients awaiting a blood product – red blood cells, platelets, or plasma. That means more than 3,700 people will possibly benefit by the donations made at this year’s holiday blood drives.

Blood donations help patients in our community of all ages, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer, among others. In fact, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.

The need this year is high, as pandemic challenges and concerns, along with the typical winter lulls, have resulted in historically low levels of blood supply. If you haven’t had a chance to donate—don’t delay. We are calling all eligible donors this January as part of National Blood Donor Month to roll up their sleeves and donate. To find an upcoming blood donation drive near you, click here.

Give more life this holiday season – give blood!

Posted on December 14, 2018 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Community urged to help patients in need across Northeast Ohio

By Christy Peters, Manager, External Communications, American Red Cross Northern Ohio Blood Services

The American Red Cross is encouraging the community to help meet patient needs this holiday season. The winter months can be among the most challenging times of year for the Red Cross to collect blood donations. Many donors are busy with holiday activities, and inclement weather can force the cancellation of blood drives. Additionally, some donors become temporarily ineligible because of seasonal illnesses.

WKYC Channel 3 News reporter Austin Love donating blood during a Halloween blood drive at the Warzel Donation Center in Cleveland. Photo credit: Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

Join the Red Cross at one of several holiday blood drives happening in Northeast Ohio and help save lives this holiday season:

Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018

Hilton Garden Inn Twinsburg Holiday Blood Drive

8971 Wilcox Dr., Twinsburg, 44087

7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

Quicken Loans Arena Blood Drive

1 Center Court, Cleveland, 44115

10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018

Cuyahoga Falls Holiday Blood Drive

Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls

1989 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, 44221

7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 21, 2018

33 WYTV Holiday Blood Drives

Stambaugh Auditorium, 1000 5th Ave., Youngstown

Packard Music Hall, 1703 Mahoning Ave., Warren

9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019

Landerhaven Blood Drive

Executive Caterers at Landerhaven

6111 Landerhaven Dr., Mayfield Heights, 44124

7 a.m.-7 p.m.

The Red Cross is currently facing an urgent need for blood. Blood donors of all blood types, especially type O, are needed to give now to avoid delays in lifesaving medical care for patients. Volunteer blood drive hosts are also critically needed to stop the shortage from continuing throughout winter.

Your blood donation may give a patient in need more time – and more holidays – with loved ones. To make an appointment for any of the blood drives listed above, download the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Shelter Closes, But Casework Continues

Posted on April 19, 2017 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Red Cross Workers Continue to Assist Dozens of Residents Forced to Flee from Fire

A shelter operated by the Red Cross for residents of the Studio City Apartments in Cuyahoga Falls closed today, after Red Cross caseworkers were able to ensure that all residents in need of shelter had suitable alternative housing.

Since Friday, April 14^th, the Red Cross has been providing safe shelter, warm meals and comfort care daily for up to six residents who otherwise would have had no other housing alternatives.

“We are extremely grateful to the Cuyahoga Falls City Schools and the Riverfront YMCA for providing the space for us to operate a shelter for these residents,” said Tim O’Toole, Regional Disaster Officer in Northeast Ohio. “And we are especially grateful to the dedicated volunteers, many of whom gave up family time over the Easter holiday weekend, to provide the services that were needed following last week’s fire.”

Shelter Residents from Cuyahoga Falls play basketball with Red Cross Volunteers on Easter Sunday. Photo credit: Zackery McAvoy/American Red Cross

Although the shelter has closed, Red Cross assistance will continue for the foreseeable future, as nearly 80 people who were forced to flee their homes on Thursday, April 13 are getting help from caseworkers, who are meeting with residents one-on-one to create recovery plans, navigate paperwork and locate help from other agencies. Most of the work is being done by volunteers, who have received specialized training to help people following a disaster.

The Red Cross has a need for additional volunteers to help when the next disaster occurs. Volunteer opportunities include not only casework and shelter help, but also response immediately following disasters, when people often experience their darkest hours. Those interested in becoming trained Red Cross volunteers can visit redcross.org/neo, or call 216-431-3328 to begin the application process.

Red Cross shelter workers created this display to express their appreciation for the use of Gordon Dewitt Elementary School in Cuyahoga Falls as a shelter over Easter weekend.

Annual Holiday Blood Drive a Success

Posted on December 22, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Almost 600 people came to donate yesterday at the Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls blood drive and the Red Cross collected 560 pints of blood. Yesterday’s event will help ensure patients have the blood they need throughout the holiday season. We encourage donors who weren’t able to come and give at the Sheraton to find a drive near them in coming weeks and help the Red Cross during a time of critical need.