Boxing Day Blood Bonanza

December 11, 2006 1:59 PM

Anyone interested in donating blood on Boxing Day (December 26th)? If so, you can search for a local blood center at America's Blood or browse their list. If your state or nation isn't listed there, try the AABB's Blood Bank Locator. Maybe we can coordinate in this thread to meet up with similarly desanguinated MeFites, then post photos in a future thread? Bragging rights go to whichever city has the most donors. Who's in?
posted by cog_nate to MetaFilter Gatherings at 1:59 PM (36 comments total)

(Boxing Day seems like a good day as it's just after the holidays and work -- at least in my neck of the woods -- is usually slow. No other reason, really... except that it alliterates.)
posted by cog_nate at 2:00 PM on December 11, 2006

Also available in Canada.
posted by blue_beetle at 2:07 PM on December 11, 2006

Do we know that most blood banks are open on Boxing Day?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:14 PM on December 11, 2006 [1 favorite]

I just tried to call the listed number for Florida Blood Services (1-800-68-BLOOD) and got an error message :-(
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:17 PM on December 11, 2006 [1 favorite]

Ah ha, found the right number on their website. I'm in! December 26th, 2 p.m. EST.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:21 PM on December 11, 2006 [1 favorite]

My local blood center is open that day. Oh, and Lawrence MeFites; donate and I'll buy you a pint (of beer) at Free State.
posted by cog_nate at 2:24 PM on December 11, 2006

donate and I'll buy you a pint (of beer) at Free State.

Before or after?
posted by cortex at 3:33 PM on December 11, 2006

My girlfriend and I are donating next week. Can we still chalk one up for Stockholm, Sweden? :)
posted by soundofsuburbia at 3:41 PM on December 11, 2006

Bloomington is totally gonna pwn you all.
posted by thirteenkiller at 4:28 PM on December 11, 2006

Good news is that the CJD embargo for the UK is now cuts off at 1996, so I can (finally) give.

The bad news is that I won't be in Seattle that day.
posted by dw at 4:35 PM on December 11, 2006

I've had a recurring cough for a month. Odds are I'll still have it by Boxing Day and be disqualified.
posted by Karmakaze at 4:36 PM on December 11, 2006

I gave blood on Thursday, I'm out til February.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:34 PM on December 11, 2006

No way, the stores are such madhouses on Boxing Day, I shudder to think of what the donor clinics are like.

Besides, I'm giving this week.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:18 PM on December 11, 2006

I wonder if there's a way we could specifically request a MeFites blood next time we're in the hospital?

http://blood.metafilter.com
posted by blue_beetle at 9:20 PM on December 11, 2006

http://blood.metafilter.com

Red background, naturally.

I gave about a month ago for the first time (O+) and then got a tattoo and knocked myself out of availability for six months.
posted by corvine at 4:46 AM on December 12, 2006

Well, since I'm just making this up as I go along, let's say those who've already made appointments or donated count. How many we got?

ThePinkSuperhero, blue_beetle(?), jessamyn, Karmakaze (maybe), thirteenkiller (and the "Bloomington Blood Krew"), Alvy Ampersand, soundofsuburbia&sweetheart and myself... anyone else?
posted by cog_nate at 1:56 PM on December 12, 2006

I'll be donating a few pints of the red liquid as well.
posted by Stynxno at 2:43 PM on December 12, 2006

Do platelets count? I donate platelets every month.
posted by eamondaly at 12:00 PM on December 14, 2006

Remember--no gays allowed!
And no women that have slept with a gay.
And no professional baseball players.
And no Nigerians.
And no one that has slept with a Nigerian.
And--God protect us all--no gay Nigerians.

Your blood
is not wanted.
posted by crookedneighbor at 12:26 PM on December 14, 2006

By the way, Chicagoans: you can schedule an appointment on the internets!
posted by eamondaly at 1:00 PM on December 14, 2006

I'm in.

Crookedneighbor, chill out. They also don't want thin people's blood, or people with the cold, or with low iron counts, or people who have extensively traveled overseas.
posted by muddgirl at 1:56 PM on December 14, 2006

OMG Blood Banks Hate Paris Hilton!!!
posted by muddgirl at 2:05 PM on December 14, 2006

I gave last week. Does that count?
posted by winston at 6:04 PM on December 14, 2006

AABB's Blood Bank Locator

Why do these Swedish soft-rockers need so much blood?
posted by Pollomacho at 11:36 PM on December 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

I'm out for a year, I got a blood product a couple of months ago when I was pregnant because my RH is negative. Boo.
posted by arcticwoman at 1:44 AM on December 15, 2006

Good news is that the CJD embargo for the UK is now cuts off at 1996, so I can (finally) give.

Hey, that's good news indeed! One of my few sadnesses about moving to the UK in 2002 was the fear that I wouldn't be able to give blood when I moved back to the US.

Anyway, I took a look at the blood donation locator for the UK, and there's nothing very close to London on Boxing Day. (Not too surprising--London tends to shut down for a few days around Christmas time.)

However Middlesex Hospital (which is near Goodge Street or Oxford Circus tube stations) has sessions on 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29 December.
posted by yankeefog at 3:52 AM on December 15, 2006

Update: I just signed up for 22 December. Bloodloss-related lightheadedness, here I come!
posted by yankeefog at 3:55 AM on December 15, 2006

This turned out to be a root canal so I'm out for four or six months (can't remember which). Boxing Day is a public holiday here too so I'm guessing the donation places will be shut.
posted by shelleycat at 2:45 PM on December 15, 2006

I'm donating on the 18th, LA. Can I get counted?
posted by every_one_needs_a_hug_sometimes at 6:19 PM on December 16, 2006

Hey, I'm nowhere near any of you, but I'm game. I'm just now clear to donate, after overseas adventures took me out of candidacy for a year. Scheduled for the 23rd!
posted by zennie at 8:50 AM on December 18, 2006

OK, in keeping with making it up as I go along, we can add Stynxno, eamondaly, muddgirl, winston, yankeefog and zennie.

(Apologies for posting this so close to Boxing Day itself. If folks think it's worth doing again next year, I'll post eight weeks or so before the date to give everyone a chance to properly schedule their donation.)
posted by cog_nate at 6:47 AM on December 19, 2006

I have masses of relatives still in town on the 26th but I did make arrangements to schedule an appt. after they are gone.
Thanks for the link. Using it I found a donation center much more convenient to where I live and I can schedule online.
Great idea cog_nate.
posted by BoscosMom at 2:36 PM on December 23, 2006

Donated last Monday. That made 12 gallons and a pint.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 11:00 PM on December 23, 2006

We gave our blood!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:11 PM on December 26, 2006 [1 favorite]

I donated yesterday afternoon, and even got a few local buddies to do the same. (Pics when I can get my camera to play nicely with my computer.)
posted by cog_nate at 9:30 AM on December 27, 2006

Here are the pics of the Lawrence-area mass desanguination.

Here's who I got tallied up as participating: ThePinkSuperhero (and mystery guest), blue_beetle(?), jessamyn, Karmakaze (?), thirteenkiller (and the "Bloomington Blood Krew"?), Alvy Ampersand, soundofsuburbia&sweetheart, Stynxno, eamondaly, muddgirl, winston, yankeefog, zennie, every_one_needs_a_hug_sometimes, unrepentanthippie, BoscosMom, myself and a non-Mefite Lawrence contingent of three.

22 in all, I guess, unless thirteenkiller's crew materialized. Not bad for something thrown together way too late. Thanks everyone!
posted by cog_nate at 9:32 AM on January 9, 2007