Frequently asked questions

Eligibility and Donation Collection

Is it safe to give blood?

Donating blood is a very safe process. Every donor’s blood is collected through a new, sterile needle that is used once and then discarded. Although most people feel fine after donating blood, a small number of people may feel lightheaded or dizzy, have an upset stomach or experience a bruise or pain where the needle was inserted. It is extremely rare that a donor might experience more severe reactions that might include loss of consciousness, nerve damage or artery damage.

Can I give if I have been turned down before?

Most of the reasons for which donors are deferred from giving blood are temporary. For example, one common reason for a deferral is low hematocrit level, or the percentage of red blood cells found in whole blood. However, hematocrit levels fluctuate daily and may be affected by what you eat, so a donor deferred one day for a low level may very well be able to give blood at a later date. Check the eligibility requirements to see if you may be eligible to donate. A "mini-physical" is given to all potential donors to ensure they are eligible to give blood on a particular day.

How often can one give blood?

Regulations in the United States allow people to donate whole blood once every 56 days. The waiting period between donations can differ for other blood collection procedures. For example, donating two units of red blood cells through an automated system increases the waiting time to 112 days. You can donate platelets through a process called apheresis every 7 days up to 24 times per year. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to learn key facts about types of donations.

How do I know if I am eligible to donate blood?

Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate. All donors will receive physical and health history reviews prior to donating. There is no upper age limit on your ability to donate. Some of the conditions that require a temporary deferral include: pregnancy, travel to certain parts of the world, inoculations, some health conditions and certain medications. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org toheck the eligibility requirements or to get answers to specific eligibility questions you may have. In most states, donors must be age 17 or older. Some states allow donation by 16-year-olds with a signed parental consent form. Final eligibility is determined by Red Cross professional staff at the time of donation.

Are health history questions and test results confidential?

Yes. The health history will be conducted by a trained professional in a segregated area arranged to preserve confidentiality. Once your blood is tested, if there are any abnormal results to any of the administered standard tests, you will receive confidential notification. The Red Cross maintains strict confidentiality of all blood donor records. When required, we report donor information, including test results, to health departments, military medical commands, and regulatory agencies.

What can I do if I am not eligible to donate?

If you are ineligible to donate blood, there are plenty of other ways you can help. You can organize local blood drives, recruit others to donate blood, or volunteer at blood drives. You can also make a financial donation to the Disaster Relief Fund, which helps ensure disaster victims across the country receive the immediate emergency resources they need. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to learn all the ways you can get involved with the Red Cross.

How can I ensure a pleasant donation experience?

You'll want to get a good night's sleep the night before and make sure to eat a healthy breakfast or lunch before your donation. Also, drink an extra 16 oz. of water and fluids before the donation. Take your normal medications as prescribed. You can help ensure that you have an adequate hematocrit level by eating iron-rich foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, green leafy vegetables, iron-fortified cereals, nuts, raisins and prunes. During your donation, relax. After your donation, have some juice and snacks in the refreshment area. After your donation, you can go about your daily activities, but avoid heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for the remainder of the day.

Should I give blood now or wait until I am called?

Under normal circumstances, eligible donors are encouraged to donate as frequently as possible and are asked to make an appointment by calling1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visiting redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment today.

How long does it take to donate blood?

The whole process takes about an hour. It starts with registration, a health history and a mini-physical. Then the actual donation occurs, which usually takes about 10-12 minutes. Afterward, you will be asked to spend a few minutes in the refreshment area where you can have a light snack before returning to your normal activities.

How much blood is taken - won't it make me weak?

A blood donation equals approximately one pint of blood. The average adult body has 10-12 pints. The vast majority of people will not feel any different because of the donation. A very small percentage may experience temporary dizziness, but some rest and fluids will help you feel better quickly. Your body will replace the lost fluid within 24 hours.

What will happen to my blood after I donate?

Each blood donation is assigned a unique computer barcode number, which will identify it throughout its path from the donor to a hospital patient. Immediately after the blood donation, the blood is placed in transport containers designed to keep it at a safe temperature until it reaches a Red Cross laboratory. Samples of the blood donation are simultaneously sent to one of five Red Cross National Testing Laboratories to be tested for transmissible diseases. In the manufacturing facility, the unit of blood you donated may be separated into its different components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma, each of which serves a unique medical need. The products are then placed in secure, temperature-controlled refrigeration units until test results are received (usually within a day or two) and the blood is deemed safe for transfusion. From local distribution centers, the blood is transported to hospitals based on patient need. Hospital personnel then transfuse the blood or blood products to a patient in need. If blood is determined to be unsafe it is not released for distribution.

Can I direct my blood donation to an individual?

Patients scheduled for surgery may be eligible to donate blood for themselves in the weeks leading up to non-emergency surgery in a process known as autologous donation. If an autologous donation is not possible and cannot be used; family members and friends can make directed donations if their blood type is compatible with the patient. Directed donations are fully tested, so if they are not used by the intended patient, they may be released for use by other patients. These collections procedures can be quite costly.

Can I direct my blood donation to the military?

The Red Cross has a strong national network that helps us direct your blood donation to the areas of the country where they are most needed. While you can’t direct your donation to be specifically routed to military personnel, you can be sure that it will be sent to the areas of most critical need. You can support the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) by giving back your Donor Rewards points through the site. We will designate a donation for every point returned and make a contribution to the SAF relief fund. To learn more, click on the SAF link in the footer of the homepage.

Points

Can I get points for my donations from previous years?

Although we greatly appreciate your past donations, Red Cross Racing 2011Terms and Conditions stated the deadline to donate and accrue points for the 2010 season was January 15, 2011. For this year's program you can enter any donations beginning January 16, 2011 and accrue points that do not expire as long as you present to donate and report your blood donation online at least one time during the 12 month calendar period.

Do my points expire?

Beginning February 1, 2011, points do not expire as long as you present to donate and record donation activity every 12 months.

Why can't I get points for plasma donations?

This program was established with the specific goal to increase blood and platelet donations for the Red Cross. Plasma donations, while greatly appreciated, are not currently one of the procedure types that Red Cross Racing will award points for.

Can I still get points even if I was deferred?

Yes. You can be rewarded points for presenting to donate, by selecting the 'I presented but was unable to donate' checkbox in ‘Step 2’ on the home page (‘Report a Donation’ step). To make the system fair for everyone, it is set-up such that you still need to wait the same number of days you would have to wait as if you donated (56 days between Whole Blood donations and 112 days between Double Red donations) before you can report another donation. Or if you choose, you can wait until you are able to donate again and wait to record that donation. You can get points either for presenting or for your actual donation, but not both.

How long are points kept pending?

Once you report your donation, it will be in a pending status in the system for approx. 10-14 days until your information is verified. You can view the status of your donations and your donation history on your member dashboard at any time by clicking on the ‘My Dashboard’ link on the upper right side of the homepage when you are logged in. Please log back in frequently to review your account information on your dashboard.

I donated whole blood six (6) times in a year, how many points will I get?

You will receive 3,000 points for recording six (6) donations.

Why did the point structure change in 2011?

We’ve listened to our members and want to continue to make beneficial changes based on valuable input. The main goal was to make the system easier to understand and to simplify due to the fact that points no longer expire.

How do I report a donation?

Once logged-in to your account, click on the ‘Report a Donation’ button in ‘Step 2’ on the homepage. A new window will appear, in which you can enter your donation information. Simply fill out all the necessary fields and click ‘Submit.’Repeat the process as needed to report all donation dates.

Donations

How do I report a donation?

1. Sign in by entering your email and password

2. Once you are signed in you can click on the grey "Report a Donation" button towards the top of the page

3. A window will pop up where you can enter your donation information, simply fill out the form completely and click "submit"

4. Repeat the process as needed to report all donation dates

Prizes

Are these the only prizes available?

The prizes on the site are the ones currently available to members. We also have a special Hall of Fame catalog to those members that qualify.

How do I exchange my points for a prize?

You will need to be signed in using your email and password. You are required to report your donations online to accumulate points in your account. You will notice that when you are logged in, your point total appears in your mini dashboard in very top bar of the home page screen.

Simply click ‘Prizes’ in the menu bar to access the prize catalog. If you have enough points to exchange for a prize or donate points, you will be able to begin to shop!

Click the ‘Get prize’ button, select your quantity and size if applicable, and click the ‘Add to Cart’ button. You will now be able to view your shopping cart at the top of the catalog window. After adding this item to your cart, a new line of text will appear at the top of this window that says "Your shopping cart has X number of item(s) worth X number of points. Click ‘View cart’, confirm your selection and shipping address and complete your redemption.

Other/Misc.

I don't have access to a computer. Do you have a toll free number?

We currently do not have a toll free number for donors who are members or interested in becoming members, as this is an online interactive program. We hope you'll be able to gain access to a computer and/or the internet soon so you can join us!

I have a new email address. Where can I change my information?

To change your email address, please log-in to your account and click ‘My Dashboard’ underneath the ‘My Account’ drop-down menu in the grey navigation bar. Once inside you Dashboard, click on the the red button titled ‘Edit My Account’. You can then update your contact information and click the red button called ‘Submit Changes’ to update your account. Once you have updated your email address, you will use that updated information to log-in to Red Cross Racing effective immediately.