La Grande’s March blood draw brings in 285 units of critically needed blood
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, March 20th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – La Grande’s latest blood drive is in the books. After two days of donations, the drive officially brought in 285 units of blood. 156 Units were brought in on day one, and 129 units on day two. With the national blood shortage still ongoing, every unit counts and all types are needed. Even a single donation can make the difference between life and death for those in need. As written by Linda and Sheldon Strand, La Grande’s Community Blood Draw Coordinators:
“Red Cross tells us that a single unit can save the lives of up to three people. Using this standard,
our community donated enough blood over the past two days to save the lives of a possible 855 people. We are grateful for the ongoing support of our community donors and advocates.”
For anyone that couldn’t make it or that wants to donate again, the next La Grande Community Blood Drive is scheduled for Tuesday June 16 and Wednesday June 17 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1802 Gekeler Lane LaGrande, OR, 97850.
Drives are also scheduled for Tuesday, April 14 at the Eastern Oregon University Hoke College Center and Thursday, April 16, at La Grande High School.
For anyone that just can’t wait or happens to be located further south, drives are also scheduled in Baker County on Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24 at the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane, Baker City, OR 97814.
Appointments can be made online at https://www.redcrossblood.org/. Simply type in your area code in the “Find a Blood Drive” tab to find local appointments.
