VACAVILLE, Calif. — Donors turned out for a special Veterans Day blood drive for the American Red Cross in Vacaville.
According to the Red Cross, more than 120 blood drives have been canceled over the past two months because of the recent wildfires. It’s a problem that exacerbates the dwindling blood supply still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.
On Veterans Day in Vacaville, the Red Cross in collaboration with San Francisco Zion Church, held the first in a series of blood drives to help replenish that supply. Donors, some of whom were coronavirus survivors, healthcare workers, LNU Lightning Complex Fire survivors, overwhelmed the event eager to donate.
"I contracted COVID-19 earlier this year. After recovering, I donated plasma and found out about the need for blood donations. When I heard my church was collaborating for a blood drive, I jumped at the opportunity," Jeffrey Barrios, a Dixon resident, said.
The Red Cross said it collected 40 units of blood at the Vacaville event and said they plan to be back in December for more.
Since the event’s announcement, more than 200 donors pledged to give blood, the Red Cross said.
