Due to the coronavirus pandemic, local blood supply remains at dangerously low levels.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – As regions have reopened and hospitals have resumed elective surgeries, Community Blood Center (CBC) has issued an urgent call for healthy blood donors. The need for blood has rebounded to pre-COVID-19 levels, but the blood supply is dangerously low. Starlight, in partnership with several neighboring Swope Park organizations, has teamed up with CBC to host an urgent community blood drive on Thursday, July 16, and healthy individuals are urged to participate.
“While we are unable to hold live events at this time, we are pleased to be able to open Starlight’s doors for such an important cause,” Barb Schulte, Starlight’s vice president of community engagement, said. “This is one small thing that our Swope Park community can do to show support during the coronavirus pandemic, and we encourage everyone to join us on July 16.”
CBC is the primary supplier of blood products across Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas, providing to hospitals including University of Kansas Health System, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Saint Luke’s Health System, and many more. In order to maintain a safe blood supply, a seven-day inventory of all blood types must be continually replenished. Right now, reserves are far below that minimum.
“As hospitals have resumed their operations, it’s imperative that the local blood supply is able to sustain them. Our local hospitals are counting on the generosity of our communities to step up and meet this need,” said Kim Peck, senior executive director of Community Blood Center.
The blood drive will be held in the Applause Club at Starlight, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, Mo. 64132, on Thursday, July 16 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. The Applause Club is located on the east side of Starlight and can be accessed via Gate 8. Parking is available curbside and in the Zoo’s Zebra and Cheetah parking lots.
Donors are asked to wear a face mask to their donation or one will be provided to them upon arrival. Appointments are strongly encouraged, and walk-ins will only be accepted if capacity allows. Appointments can be made online at savealifenow.org/group and enter Group Code: EG9Z, or call 1-877-468-6844.
In order to protect CBC staff, healthy blood donors and our community blood supply, individuals are instructed not to attend the blood drive if they are experiencing a fever or other symptoms of COVID-19 (chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing) or have been diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 until 14 days after their illness has resolved. Please note: CBC does NOT test for COVID-19. Additional information is available at savealifenow.org/coronavirus.
About Starlight
Opened as a theatre in 1950 and a nonprofit organization in 1951, Starlight is the largest and oldest performing arts institution in Kansas City and provides inspiring, one-of-a-kind experiences to its patrons. Starlight presents and produces Broadway musicals, concerts and Indoors shows in addition to offering extensive community engagement programming, including classes, scholarships and Starlight’s Blue Star Awards, one of the largest high school musical theatre award programs in the nation.Located on 16 acres in Swope Park, Starlight’s historic, city-owned venue is the second-largest outdoor producing theatre in the country and includes rehearsal halls, a museum, club area for dining, concessions, gardens, fountains and a 10-story, climate-controlled stage. For more information, visit kcstarlight.com.
About Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City (CBC)
Community Blood Center, now part of the NYBC family, serves hospitals in the Kansas City metropolitan area, as well as eastern Kansas and western Missouri. CBC provides nearly 200,000 blood products per year to approximately 65 area hospitals – and calls upon about 580 donors each day to meet the need for a life-saving gift of blood. The blood center makes timely deliveries of safe, high-quality products to meet transfusion needs, for routine care and emergencies. For more information, visit http://www.savealifenow.org/.