The American Red Cross opened their first Bucks County donation center, located at 100 N. Bucks Town Drive, Suite 204 in Langhorne earlier this month.
The American Red Cross celebrated the grand opening of its new Langhorne Blood Donation Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 30th. The Red Cross began collecting blood and platelet donations on Dec. 5, 2024. The new center is located at 100 N. Bucks Town Drive in Suite 204 in Langhorne.
The site is one of four new blood donation centers the Red Cross has opened in Southeastern Pennsylvania, plus another one less than mile from the Pennsylvania state line in Wilmington, Delaware, said officicials.
“By opening this, and other locations like it, we’re able to collect more blood products to supply to hospitals all over the Greater Philadelphia region,” said Jennifer Graham, CEO, Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania.
While mobile blood drives will continue to operate at businesses, schools, churches and other locations throughout the region, some donors may find it easier to fit a blood donation into their busy schedules at convenient, fixed locations with consistent hours.
Donation centers are the only places the Red Cross collects platelets – tiny cells in your blood that form clots and stop bleeding. With a shelf life of only five days, platelets are in constant demand to treat patients with cancer and others facing life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
Platelet donor Jeff Rowlands joined Red Cross and community officials to cut the ribbon. He was the very first platelet donor on the schedule when the center opened on Dec. 5th.
Jeff first donated blood in high school and picked up again later when his younger brother battled a rare blood disorder and required transfusions.
“He passed in 2021 after complications. I continue to give in his honor,” he shared.
Jeff went to our Blood Donation Center in Princeton near his place of work at the time to make a Power Red blood donation during his lunch break. One day, a member of our collections team asked him to consider giving platelets.
“After learning about it, I went ahead and have been donating ever since,” he said. “Yes, giving platelets is a little bit of a time commitment, but it is so rewarding knowing the impact it has for others in need.
The Langhorne Blood Donation Center is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11:45 a.m.-8 p.m., Thursdays 10:15 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and Saturdays 7:15 a.m.-3:30 p.m. To schedule an appointment to donate, visit RedCrossBlood.org, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).