U.P. Health System hosts blood drive at Iron County church

CRYSTAL FALLS, Mich. (WLUC) - U.P. Health System collected over 30 pints of blood today from donors in Crystal Falls. For many donors, this is not their first time.

“It’s needed, and I have been doing it for about 25 years. I stop in every time I am either called or I saw it on TV6 last night, so I knew the need was great,” said Ruth Warmanen, Blood Donor.

Today’s drive was at United Lutheran Church in Crystal Falls. Public Relations and Outreach Chairman Zach Hautala says the church is the perfect place to host a blood drive.

“It is a prominent location within the community. We use our church as a community center, whether it is for blood donations, A.A. meetings, craft fairs. We want to make sure the whole community is aware that just because it is a house of worship, it does not mean people are not welcome. Everyone is welcome at United Lutheran,” Hautala said.

The health system staff says many of the regular donors in the past have become too old to donate. The staff asks anyone who is healthy and able, to give blood. Donations made at a regional blood bank could help someone close to you.

“It gets distributed to U.P. hospitals across the area, chances are someone you know could receive this blood,” Hautala said.

The health system says they deliver to 12 U.P. hospitals. All blood types are desperately needed especially negative blood types. Warmanen understands the impact giving blood can have.

“It’s life. It can give someone else a chance to have a healthy life, and it is easy to do,” Warmanen said.

U.P. health system will travel four to five times a week across the area to host blood drives. Hautala says the church will host about six blood drives a year, with the next one coming in March.

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