This Veterans Day, CHA and the Red Cross Begin Series of Four Blood Drives; Honoring Service With Service
WALLINGFORD — The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) is continuing its longstanding partnership with the American Red Cross to help strengthen Connecticut’s blood supply and encourage community members to give blood.
CHA will host a blood drive with the American Red Cross on Wednesday, November 11, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 110 Barnes Road in Wallingford. Community members are encouraged to make an appointment here (or by visiting RedCrossBlood.org and typing in sponsor code “CHA”) and help ensure blood products are available for patients who depend on them. This drive is the first of multiple drives that have been scheduled at CHA to take place in the year ahead.
CHA has partnered with the American Red Cross for many years, bringing together the Connecticut healthcare community to encourage blood donation. Over the course of the partnership, CHA-hosted blood drives have collected more than 2,700 units of blood from over 2,800 donors, including over 200 Power Red donors and nearly 200 first-time donors, across 67 drives.
This year’s first blood drive falls on Veterans Day, November 11, providing an opportunity to honor service with service. As communities across the country honor the men and women who have served our nation, CHA and the Red Cross are encouraging eligible donors to mark the day by giving back to patients and families in need.
“Veterans Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of service and the many ways people contribute to the well-being of others. Giving blood is a simple but meaningful way to serve someone in your community who may be facing a serious illness, injury, or medical emergency,” said Paul Jones, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, CPHQ, director of quality and patient safety at CHA. “Our Connecticut hospitals and healthcare workers are deeply committed to quality and patient care, but they can’t do this work alone. They depend on the generosity of the community. Every blood donation is an opportunity to help ensure that patients have access to lifesaving care when they need it.”
“The Connecticut Hospital Association is a valued partner in promoting blood donation and helping strengthen the blood supply across our state,” said Richard Branigan, CEO of the American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “We’re grateful for CHA’s continued leadership and commitment to bringing together Connecticut’s healthcare community to support patients and the hospitals that rely on lifesaving blood every day.”
The need for blood donors remains ongoing. One in seven patients entering a hospital will need a blood transfusion. Blood is needed every day and can be used for patients receiving emergency care, undergoing surgery, being treated for cancer, giving birth, and managing serious illnesses and injuries. A stable blood supply helps hospitals remain prepared to provide lifesaving care around the clock.
Earlier this year, CHA joined the American Red Cross of Connecticut to highlight the critical need for blood and platelet donors following a significant decline in donations during the summer. Although donations have increased since the Red Cross announced a national blood supply crisis in July, the nation’s blood supply remains vulnerable, with persistent inventory challenges.
“Your one hour or less of donating blood could be someone else’s lifetime,” Jones said. “Every donation can make a difference for a patient and help our hospitals remain ready to care for the communities they serve.”
CHA Blood Drive on Veterans Day
- Connecticut Hospital Association
110 Barnes Road
Wallingford, CT
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Donors can reserve an appointment through the American Red Cross here. Donors may also visit the Red Cross website (https://www.redcrossblood.org/) and enter sponsor code “CHA” to find the drive. The Red Cross will provide donors with a $10 Amazon e-gift card, while supplies last.
CHA encourages eligible community members to participate in the November 11 blood drive and help support patients across Connecticut and beyond.
CHA will also host three additional blood drives in 2027:
- Wednesday, February 3
- Tuesday, May 4
- Tuesday, August 3
