The American Red Cross is asking people to give blood to give thanks this month.

The organization will conduct a blood drive at North Platte Community College from9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9. The drive will be in the student lounge in the W.W. Wood Building on NPCC’s North Campus.

“Blood donations often decline from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day,” said Amanda Koubek, account manager for the American Red Cross. “Donors are needed in the weeks leading up to the holidays to help prevent a seasonal decline. After all, patients don’t get a holiday from needing blood products.”

Like the emergency room of a hospital, the Red Cross must be prepared to respond to the blood needs of patients 24/7. It’s the blood already on the shelves that helps save lives.

There is a constant, often critical, need for type AB plasma. Type AB donors have a universal plasma, which can be given to patients of all blood types.

Similarly, Type O negative is the universal blood type and can be transfused to patients with any blood type. Types A and B negative can be transfused to Rh positive or negative patients.

Walk-ins will be welcome at the NPCC blood drive. Appointments can be scheduled online at redcrossblood.org with the sponsor code “npccknights,” by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and by contacting Ryan Glenney at (563) 260-4115 or[email protected].

Appointments can also be scheduled by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App. It’s available by texting “BLOODAPP” to 90999 or through a search for “American Red Cross” in app stores on smartphones.

Those who use the tool will be able to view their health history, including blood pressure, hemoglobin levels and pulse rate, on their digital donor ID card in addition to tracking their donations.

People are encouraged to complete a RapidPass prior to the blood drive to save time. RapidPass allows donors to complete the required reading and health history questionnaire online. It can be accessed at www.redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.