NAMPA, Idaho — A celebration Tuesday in Nampa came with a call to action — if you've thought about donating blood, do it.
Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke and Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling joined the American Red Cross for Idaho, Montana and Eastern Oregon to cut the ribbon on the Red Cross' new blood donation and collection facility, located at 5820 E. Franklin Rd.
"I'm so excited because it makes donating easy," Kling said. "I had been thinking about donating for some time, and when it's right here in Nampa, boy, there's no excuse, right? We need to be here."
The new 6,000-square-foot facility, with 17 beds and 25 staff, began operations on June 5.
It's the second blood, plasma and platelet collection center in the Treasure Valley; the other one is located near the intersection of Franklin Road and Phillippi Street in Boise.
"We were having a shortage of spots. People wanted to donate, and we needed more capacity. So, we added this center. We're also going to add one in Twin Falls," said Nicole Sirak-Irwin, the Red Cross regional CEO, who later said that the Twin Falls opening is expected in spring of 2024.
Sirak-Irwin said the new center in Nampa won't just make it more convenient for potential blood donors in Canyon County; it boosts collection capacity for a life-saving resource that can't be made in a factory.
"There's no substitute for human blood. There's no synthetic, so we have to have human blood," Sirak-Irwin said. "One unit saves up to three lives, and we always have a shortage in the summer, so we're really encouraging people to come out and donate."
In addition to collecting donations of whole blood, the new Red Cross center in Nampa collects platelets, a blood component that aids in clotting and repair of damaged blood vessels.
"There's a great patient need, also people who have cancer will often benefit from platelet donations," Sirak-Irwin said.
Hospitals around the nation rely on blood and platelet donations, and the Red Cross centers in the Treasure Valley are part of the national blood banking system.
"Whenever you donate, if you use our app, you'll find out where the blood went," Sirak-Irwin said.
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