The zip codes in South Seattle and the South Seattle suburbs are the most diverse in Washington state and among the most diverse in the United States.
It’s critical for Bloodworks to have a strong presence in this area: a diverse blood supply is a resilient and reliable blood supply.
On August 22, we opened our new blood donation center in Renton in place of our previous one in Tukwila, which closed in August after 52 years.
“We are thrilled to bring a bigger and better donation center to our community,” said Bloodworks Northwest President and CEO Curt Bailey. “Blood donation is vital to the health and well-being of our community. Our new donor center in one of Washington’s ten largest cities will make it easier for people to donate blood, encouraging them to step up and save lives.”
The new center is in the Time Square Business Park at 660 SW 39th Street #100, a couple of blocks away from IKEA – what better way to prepare for your donation than a hearty meal of Swedish meatballs?
The Renton center has some great perks: outlets for cell phone charging behind every bench, free parking, proximity to shopping outlets and freeways, and a vibrant, modern feel.
It’s also located directly across from Bloodworks’ processing lab, meaning your donations can be typed, tested, and sent to hospitals even faster.
“Traffic delays in getting blood processed can be a concern,” said Executive Vice President of Blood Services Vicki Finson. “A unit of blood donated at the new Renton Donor Center will now be in our laboratory within minutes and starting its journey toward helping a patient in need.”
Additionally, the new donor center will better facilitate employee training of blood collection specialists as the home of the Bloodworks Northwest Training Suite.
Our Renton Donor Center is open seven days a week and increases the number of available donor beds by 10%. We expect to collect more than 18,000 donations at the new center in the next year. Because it takes approximately 1,000 people each day to provide a safe and reliable blood supply for those in need of transfusions in the Pacific Northwest, this will make a measurable difference.
On September 29, we held a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new donation center.
Bloodworks’ President and CEO Curt Bailey, Executive Vice President of Blood Services Vicki Finson, Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone, and Valley Medical Center CEO Jeannine Grinnell were on-site to celebrate the occasion, as well as local blood recipient (and Bloodworks team member!) Mack Bell, who owes his life to transfusions from donors in his fight with a deadly condition called aplastic anemia.
After the ribbon-cutting, attendees enjoyed complimentary grilled cheese sandwiches from Franz Seattle Sourdough Baking Company Grilled Cheese Machine and cookies and beverages from our Time Square neighbor Megabites Deli.
“We look forward to our loyal Tukwila center donors following us 1.2 miles to our new location in Renton and welcoming many new donors as we grow,” said Vicki.
Come and check it out! Schedule a donation appointment at the new Renton Donor Center at bloodworksnw.org/donate.
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