FORT WORTH, Texas (June 10, 2020)
The American Red Cross - North Texas Region, Speedway Children's Charities - Texas Chapter, and Texas Motor Speedway have scheduled blood donation events through the summer of 2020 to benefit on-going needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The June 24, July 22 and August 12 blood drives are the continuation of a program which began April 1. The drive that day and a subsequent drive May 6 yielded 68 pints of blood which helped up to 204 patients in need.
The blood drives are scheduled, by appointment only, for 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. CT. The Lone Star Condominium Clubhouse is located at 3565 Lone Star Circle, Fort Worth, Texas 76177, just outside Turn 2 of the speedway property. Click HERE to register.
COVID-19 antibody testing will be an addition to the summer-months blood drives. The test, authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, indicates if the donor's immune system has produced antibodies to the coronavirus, regardless of if they ever developed symptoms. Blood, platelet and plasma donations will be tested using samples obtained at the time of donation and sent to a testing laboratory where they will also undergo routine screening and infectious disease testing.
Testing for COVID-19 antibodies provide insight into whether donors have been exposed to the coronavirus. Donors can expect to receive results of their antibody test within 7 to 10 days through the Red Cross Blood Donor App or the donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.
To make a financial donation online, visit redcross.org/donate and select "Coronavirus Outbreak." To make a contribution by check, write "Coronavirus Outbreak" in the memo line, and mail it to your local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839. Find a Red Cross blood drive near you by logging onto RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Red Cross blood donor app or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.
