Red Cross launches Missing Types campaign, wants your type A, B, O and AB blood

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Tuesday, the American Red Cross launched a new campaign encouraging people to donate blood.

The organization held an event at the Mall of America that turned a lot of heads.

The letters A, B and O were missing from popular storefront signs, all in an effort to get shoppers’ attention.

“Well, the Red Cross launched the Missing Types campaign today and what it demonstrates is, when you see A’s B’s and O’s missing from signage or from familiar things, you take notice,” said Sue Thesenga, of the Red Cross. 

Experiencing a decline in A, B, O and AB blood types, the American Red Cross urged people with those blood types to donate. 

“Typically, in the summer months, we do see a decline in blood donations just because it’s a busy time of year, especially in Minnesota when the weather is finally nice, people are out enjoying it,” Thesenga added.

“It’s really important and so I’d like to do something that makes a difference,” said Lynn Jaspers, who donated blood with her daughter in honor of a family killed in a horrific attack that left more than 50 Muslim worshippers dead this past March in New Zealand.

“So, after that happened, there was a lot of blood that was needed for victims and for people that were injured, so we decided that in the family’s honor, we’d donate blood to the Red Cross,” said Jaspers.

According to the Red Cross, only three out of every 100 people in the U.S. donate blood. Just two months ago, type O blood shortage reached critical status with just a two day supply.

Serving more than a hundred hospitals across the state, just one donation has the ability to make a huge difference.

“Patients don’t get a summer holiday or summer vacation from needing blood,” said Thesenga. “The need is constant.”