Red Cross issues urgent call for blood donations

The Red Cross is reissuing an urgent call for blood donations as shortages are reaching a critical level across the state.
Red Cross representatives attribute the shortage to continued severe weather and the flu. Bad winter weather led to the cancellation of 19 blood drives in Connecticut in January alone.
There are a number of blood drives being held across the state in the coming weeks, including in Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk. The Greenwich YMCA hosted a drive Monday.
"Clearly there's a huge need for blood, so we've had a lot of fun here," says Greenwich YMCA CEO Bob Deangelo. "The staff, we've been getting on our members saying, 'Hey, come on. You've got to give blood. Show up, step up.'"
Representatives say they're currently distributing donations to hospitals faster than they're collecting them.
They say one donation can save up to three lives.