La Grande’s January blood drive reaches record breaking 309 units donated
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, January 16th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – Following a somewhat lackluster wrap to 2025, La Grande is already starting out strong with blood donations for 2026. Sheldon Strand, one of La Grande’s Community Blood Draw Coordinators, reports that the January 2026 Blood Drive brought in a record breaking 309 units of blood, a long-time goal that has, up until now, eluded the local coordinators. In an announcement to partners and supporters, Strand wrote:
“The Red Cross staff worked diligently to minimize donor wait times. The efforts of on-site volunteers and community supporters, though less visible, are commendable. All-in-all it was beautiful to watch how smoothly the process worked. I love it when a plan comes together!”
The next community Blood Drive is scheduled for March 17 from noon to 6:00 p.m. and March 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1802 Gekeler Lane, La Grande.
For anyone in Baker County, or simply looking to donate more, the next Baker County Blood Drive is scheduled for March 23 from noon to 6:00 p.m. and March 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane, Baker City.
Register for blood drives online at https://www.redcrossblood.org/ by typing in the local area code in the “Find a Blood Drive” tab.
