The American Red Cross needs blood donors in South Davis County on Thursday, Sept. 3. A drive runs from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Bountiful YSA Stake 2260 building, 2260 N. Main St. in Centerville.

Donors who give blood or platelets between Sept. 1 and Sept. 20 will receive a limited-edition Red Cross × Hello Kitty plush mascot clip and a surprise sticker pack, while supplies last. The sticker pack features Hello Kitty or one of her friends: Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin, My Melody, Kuromi or Pochaco, ABC4 reported.

The giveaway comes as the Red Cross works to rebuild the national blood supply after declaring only the second national blood crisis in its history this summer. Blood donations fell 25% during June, Utah Public Radio reported. The organization had less than a one-day national supply of type O positive blood, the most commonly transfused type.

The Red Cross attributed the steep decline to extreme heat, poor air quality and widespread foodborne illness outbreaks that kept potential donors home, according to CCX Media. The only previous national blood crisis was in January 2022.

Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services, said in a statement that blood donations are not keeping pace with hospital demand and that type O blood remains under significant strain.

"Utah blood donors helped the Red Cross through an extraordinarily challenging summer, but the need for blood doesn't disappear when a crisis eases," Jeremiah Lafranca, executive director of the American Red Cross Greater Salt Lake Chapter, said in an Aug. 31 press release carried by ABC4.

Lafranca called the Hello Kitty partnership a way to thank donors while drawing attention to the daily need for blood.

The Red Cross said it must collect more than 13,000 blood donations each day to meet hospital and transfusion center demand nationwide. Three more donors at each drive could stabilize the supply, the organization said.

A second Centerville-area drive is also scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3, at the Centerville North Stake, 1125 N. 400 W., from 1 to 7 p.m.

Donors can schedule appointments through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, at redcross.org/GiveBlood or by calling 1-800-733-2767. The Hello Kitty promotion runs through Sept. 20.