WASHINGTON — A new app could help the American Red Cross pass the power to help save lives into the hands of more blood donors.
The new Blood Donor App allows users to schedule blood donations, track their total donations, earn rewards and invite friends to join them on a lifesaving team, says Red Cross. The app is free.
CEO for the Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region Linda Voss says the app is “a new way to help meet the constant need for blood.”
Other features of the app include:
- A blood drive or blood donation locator.
- Ability to sync a blood donation appointment with the user’s calendar.
- Personalized “selfies” — donors can use as they share their donation experience through social media.
- Special badges donors can unlock as they interact with the app.
- A chance for donors to come together to form teams, tracking their cumulative impact and viewing standings on the Blood Donor Teams Leaderboard.
- Exclusive offers, discounts and rewards from retailers including Shari’s Berries, ProFlowers and 1A Auto.
- Ability to share donor and blood recipient stories.
The Blood Donor App, along with others by the Red Cross, can be found in app stores by searching for American Red Cross, visiting redcross.org/apps or redcrossblood.org/bloodapp, or by texting BLOODAPP to 90999.
WTOP’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page.