The University of Alabama at Birmingham and the American Red Cross are holding a blood drive Sept. 16-26, 2013. The drive runs at the UAB Hospital North Pavilion second-floor atrium, Sept. 16-21, and at UAB Highlands Hospital Sept. 24-26.
All blood types are needed.
Each donor will be entered for a chance to win a $500 Apple Store gift card. There will be daily drawings for $25 iTunes gift cards, Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center tickets and more.
Hours at the North Pavilion, 18th Street and 6th Ave. North:
- Monday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 18, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept 21, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Hours at UAB Highlands, 1201 11th Ave. South:
- Tuesday, Sept. 24, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 25, 6:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Donors should bring a photo ID. Free parking is available in the North Pavilion parking deck and the UAB Highlands parking lot.
UAB is one of the largest users nationally of blood supplied by the Red Cross. Donors can give blood up to six times a year, once every eight weeks. The process takes about 45 minutes; the actual blood collection usually takes less than 20 minutes.
Blood products are used during surgery, transplantation, trauma care, difficult pregnancies and cancer treatment. It is not unheard of for a single patient to require as many as 100 units.