Blood Bank of Hawai‘i Returns to Big Island

Blood Bank of Hawai‘i will return Kona and Waimea Sept. 3 to Sept. 4, 2019, and to Hilo and Kea‘au from Sept. 16 to Sept. 20.

In June, Blood Bank of Hawai‘i began an island vs. island challenge to see which islands can meet their blood donation goals through December of 2019. Hawai‘i Island is in the lead as of August after breaking the state record at the Elvis Sheppard Memorial Drive in Kailua-Kona for the highest number of blood donations during a single blood drive with a total of 299 donations.

More information on the competition and scoreboard is available at bloodbanktough.org.

Anyone who donates blood in September will receive a temporary Tough Enough tattoo, the title of the statewide campaign. For a chance to be featured on Blood Bank of Hawaii’s social media pages, share a photo on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag @BloodBankHawaii.

Blood Drives in West Hawai‘i during September. Note: Drives are subject to change.

• Tuesday, Sept. 3—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Waimea from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 4—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Kona Stake Center in Kailua-Kona from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Blood Drives in East Hawai‘i during September. Note: Drives are subject to change.

• Monday, Sept. 16—Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i, WCL Integrated Facility, Multi-Purpose Room from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 17—Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Luau Hale, Main Room from 7:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Wednesday Sept. 18—Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Luau Hale, Main Room from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Thursday Sept. 19—Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Luau Hale, Main Room from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday Sept. 20—University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Athletic Department, Campus Center Room 301 from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Sign up to save lives today. The general requirements to be a blood donor are simple:

• Be in good health.
• Be 18 years of age or older (16- to 17-year-old donors with signed Blood Bank of Hawai‘i parent/legal guardian consent).
• Weigh 110 pounds or more. Additional height/weight requirements apply for female donors 16 to 18 years old.
• Bring photo ID with date of birth.

Blood Bank of Hawai‘i depends on 200 volunteer donors a day to provide lifesaving blood to Hawaii’s 18 hospitals. A single car accident can require up to 50 units of blood. Blood donations are also used daily for surgeries, trauma victims, delivering mothers, cancer treatments, transplants and other life-saving procedures.

To make an appointment or for more information, call Blood Bank of Hawaii at (808) 848-4770 or visit bloodbanktough.org.