Kentucky Blood Center is urging local lifesavers to roll up their sleeves and donate this week after the recent winter weather and cold temperatures negatively impacted blood collections entering the holiday weekend. 

The blood supply, which has been impacted throughout December by illness, has reached critical levels for many blood types, which is worrisome for the 70-plus hospitals served by KBC.

KBC has six donor centers open Monday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. All eight of KBC’s locations are open Tuesday-Saturday this week as well. All donors who visit will receive two free movie passes as a thank you for their time.

Transfusions at area hospitals have increased this month, which means more Kentuckians than normal need the gift of life that only comes from volunteer blood donors. KBC needs approximately 400 donors per day to supply its hospital partners. On average in December, the nonprofit is seeing only 240 donors daily.