According to the American Red Cross, there’s currently an urgent need for blood donation in southern, middle Tennessee. So much so, that if you donate blood with them through June 30, you’ll receive a $5 Amazon gift card.

There are no Lynchburg American Red Cross Blood Drive planned in the next two weeks, but there are opportunities in surrounding counties: Heritage South Community Credit Union on June 15, Sir Pizza in Shelbyville on June 19, and the Fayetteville Parks and Rec Building on June 23. For a full list of Red Cross blood drives happening 25 miles from Lynchburg in the next two weeks, click here.

Blood Assurance is also looking for individual who have recovered from COVID-19 to be plasma donors for those currently fighting the disease as well as blood donations. They will be hosting mobile blood drives throughout the month to bolster local supplies including: Home Depot in Decherd on June 17, Franklin County Co-op on June 22, and Tullahoma Utilities on June 18. Click here for a complete list of Blood Assurance donation opportunities. Also donation can always be made at the Blood Assurance Donor Center located at 604 North Jackson Street in Tullahoma.

According to the American Association of Blood Banks, donations by healthy, eligible individuals are perfectly safe and necessary to maintain adequate local supplies. Blood donation locations also practice frequent disinfecting, personal protective gear, and social distancing of donors.

“Individuals are not at risk of contracting COVID-19 through the blood donation process or via a blood transfusion, since respiratory viruses are generally not known to be transmitted by donation or transfusion. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to report that there have been no reported or suspected cases of transfusion-transmitted COVID-19 to date. In addition, no cases of transfusion-transmission were ever reported for the other two coronaviruses that emerged during the past two decades (SARS, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, and MERS-CoV, which causes Mideast Respiratory Syndrome),” according to their website. •

{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}