Girl Scouts Donate Thousands Of Packages Of Girl Scout Cookies For Indiana Red Cross Blood Donations

usr1017160_150345_cookiepackaging

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind – On Friday (3/20/20) Girl Scouts of Central Indiana delivered more than 4,700 packages of Girl Scout Cookies (3 full pallets) to American Red Cross – Indiana Region to help encourage Hoosiers to donate blood. Blood donors across the state will have the chance to help save a life and enjoy free Girl Scout Cookies as soon as next week. Download the Blood Donor American Red Cross mobile app to find a blood drive and schedule an appointment in your area.

As blood drives are canceled due to coronavirus concerns, the American Red Cross strongly urges healthy individuals to give blood or platelets to help patients in need. Over the last few days, blood drive cancellations have grown at an alarming rate. Through March 17, nearly 4,000 Red Cross blood drives have been canceled across the country due to coronavirus concerns, resulting in more than 100,000 fewer blood donations. That number is expected to rise.
American Red Cross Blood Donation
Photo by Michelle Frankfurter for the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross wants to reassure the public that they are taking additional precautions to ensure the safety of donors and staff with precautions such as checking the temperature of staff and donors before entering a drive, providing hand sanitizer, and spacing beds where possible to follow social distancing practices.
Their staff is also following strict safety procedures such as wearing gloves and changing them often, wiping down all donor-touched surfaces and equipment, and preparing the arm for donation with an aseptic scrub. These measures will help to keep blood recipients, staff and donors safe. There is no evidence and there are no reported cases of the coronavirus – or any respiratory virus – being transmitted by a blood transfusion.
Girl Scouts across central Indiana have been selling cookies again this year for Operation: Cookie Drop, a council-wide service project to support our local military service members and veterans, and first responders – including the American Red Cross. Last year, more than 76,000 packages of Girl Scout Cookies were donated to Operation: Cookie Drop.
If you know a Girl Scout, you can still order Girl Scout Cookies to donate to Operation: Cookie Drop or to be shipped to your home. The deadline to order is March 31.