Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Blood drive organizers say the donor base in North Dakota is declining even as the population grows.
Donor recruitment manager Stephanie Radenz of United Blood Services tells KXMB-TV (http://bit.ly/1oBx9fl ) organizers are struggling on a daily basis to bring in enough donors. The Dakotas use about 500 pints of blood each day. Some Bismarck hospitals are trying to use less blood to treat patients as demand in the state increases along with population size.
St. Alexius Medical Center says the amount of blood it uses has stayed the same over the last few years, if not decreased.
LeAna Hug says she donates blood on a regular basis because transfusions helped keep her mother alive after her body stopped making red blood cells. Hug says she's donated over 20 gallons of blood.
Bismarck police officers and firefighters have gone arm-to-arm in a competition to donate the most blood.
United Blood Services aimed to get 500 people to donate about 450 pints of blood during the Battle of the Badges blood drive this week.
The Bismarck Police Department said on its Facebook page that 106 law enforcement employees and 82 fire department employees had donated at the end of Day 2: http://on.fb.me/1qw7pXg
___
Information from: KXMB-TV, http://www.kxnet.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
