Blood donors turn out for Red Cross drive despite brutally hot weather in Washington County

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Md. ( DC News Now ) — With the excessive heat the region has been experiencing lately, the Red Cross has been seeing a disincentive for donors to step outdoors and head to a donation center.

Vacations get folks out of their routines and donating may become less of a priority. Some blood drives across the country have been cancelled and hospitals have had to conserve their blood banks.

But donations were brisk Tuesday as a crowd turned out to a blood drive at the Public Safety Center in Sharpsburg.

“Everybody’s been coming out,” Donna Weller with the Red Cross said. “It’s been a good day so far.”

Nationally, the Red Cross said it has responded to more than 24 tornado disasters and flood relief efforts across 13 states in this year alone.

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