Downtown blood drive set for this afternoon

CBCO is holding a blood drive this afternoon, 3-6 p.m., at the Skinny Improv, 205 Park Central East. Jeff Houghton, one of CBCO’s donor recruiters, is a Skinny Improv member.

“It’s his baby,” said Chris Pilgrim, the blood center’s marketing manager.

Pilgrim said it is possible to save three lives with one donation.

“Each blood donation is divided up into component parts – platelets, plasma and red blood cells,” Pilgrim said. “So it’s quite probable that the three different components will go to three different people.”

Donors must be 17 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and cannot have donated blood in the last 56 days. Donors should also bring photo identification.

In addition to free cholesterol screenings, anyone who makes a donation during today’s drive will receive a free ticket to one of Skinny Improv’s evening shows.

The blood center is always looking for all types of blood, but Pilgrim said a Code Yellow alert is in effect for types A-positive and O-negative, meaning the facility has less than a three-day supply of those types.