BEAUMONT, Texas — The holiday season has proven to be a difficult time to get people to give much-needed blood donations.
"This time of year is just notoriously hard,” Tiffany Ybarra, account manager for LifeShare Blood Center in Beaumont, said. “People are traveling. They're busy with family get-togethers and just kind of forget about donating blood.”
Ybarra said LifeShare Blood Center usually sees a decrease in blood donations during the last two weeks of December. Right now, the center is running low on supply.
"We need to collect about 75 units of blood every day to keep our hospitals stocked, and right now, we're collecting more like 50 units a day,” Ybarra said.
The annual decrease does not stop the daily need for blood donations.
"There's no substitute for human blood, and it's used every day,” Ybarra said. “People are transfused every day, way more than you might know."
The recent winter storm has greatly impacted the blood supply nationwide.
“Our sister centers in Texarkana and Shreveport did have to cancel their blood drives on Friday,” Ybarra said. "It's going to affect the whole nation. So, they're going to need blood. We're not going to have enough to help them."
To battle the supply shortage and decrease in donations, LifeShare Blood Center in Beaumont is teaming up with Cinemark at Spindletop to give people an extra incentive to donate blood.
Starting Monday, December 26, 2022 through Saturday, December 31, 2022, those who donate blood will get a Cinemark Platinum Supersaver movie ticket and a limited edition LifeShare hooded t-shirt. The offer is available at any LifeShare donation or mobile unit.
"We want to treat donors to something special here at the end of the year,” Ybarra said. “And so, you can go see a movie on us, have movie night. You'll get a free movie ticket when you give blood as well as a shirt.”