Bad weather has created a crucial need for blood and platelet donations.


The American Red Cross held a blood drive Monday at the Chenango Town Hall from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Account manager Theresa Blank says that the blood donations the red cross is currently getting are going directly to hospitals instead of a storage room.


Officials say that march storms forced the cancellation of more than 200 blood drives, which resulted in nearly 7,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations.


Account Manager for the Red Cross Theresa Blank said, "What happens during the winter weather when there's snow-days at schools we can't go and collect the blood we have scheduled or winter weather that has impacted the ability for our donors to travel. So it has affected us not only that way but nobody want to go out when it's 30 degrees below zero."


If you weren't able to make Monday's blood drive there will be another drive held at the Red Cross chapter in Endicott on Wednesday and one at Wilson Hospital on Friday.


For more details you can visit the Red Cross website at www.redcrossblood.org.