Blood Donations Are Encouraged As Hurricane Florence Churns Closer To Coast

DENVER (CBS4) - The incoming wrath of Hurricane Florence on the East Coast has Bonfils Blood Centers in the Denver metro area gearing up to help.

Officials are asking the public if they're able to donate, do so. The Blood Center says giving blood now will help ensure there is an adequate supply before the storm hits.

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"Bonfils is part of a network of blood centers including some that are in the path of Florence. To assure we are ready to meet additional patient needs that may arise due to the storm, and to make up for any canceled blood drives and temporarily closed donation centers, we are asking people who are not in the storm's path to consider giving blood in the coming days," said Liz Lambert in a statement, a spokeswoman for Bonfils.

Donating blood is nothing new for Dianna Herbst.

"I've been doing this for 15 years now," she told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann. "I just want to do my part to help those in need."

Yet her visit to the Bonfils Blood Center in Lowry on Wednesday had a new purpose.

"I have a lot of coworkers that are in the Carolinas," she said. "Some are evacuating, others are getting supplies to brace for the storm. This is just a little something I could do to help."

Dianna said she didn't have to think twice when Bonfils called out for donors.

"The more we can do from our Denver locations where we are safe, I think is needed," she said. "I think it's really important because there's so many people who don't heed the warning and they could be trapped or they could be hurt. This is a great way to give back to the community and to the nation."

Dianna said she will donate as often as she can and hopes others will do the same.

LINK: Bonfils Blood Center