The COVID-19 outbreak doesn’t make the need for donated blood go away - it just is having a severe impact on donations.

The CEOs of area businesses and other organizations have partnered with MaineHealth and the American Red Cross to create the “Distance Saves Lives” blood drive every Wednesday in Portland for the next couple of months.

How do you do a blood drive and maintain social distancing? They will follow the new, strict social distancing protocols adopted by the Red Cross so that people can give blood safely with minimal risk of increasing the spread of COVID-19.

The drive will take place Wednesdays at the Portland Elks Lodge, 1945 Congress St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Blood drive cancellations are growing at an alarming rate, with over 9,000 canceled in Northern New England.

If you can donate blood, you need to make an appointment so that interactions can be spaced out and everyone can be apart from one another.

They will also be doing other precautions like temperature checks and the use of protective gear by those taking blood.

To make an appointment, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) or go to the Red Cross website.

MaineHealth is supporting the blood drive by providing volunteer clinical staff to assist with the collection. This ambitious and necessary. To ensure a sustained supply of blood, Maine business leaders are enlisting the support and participation of their employees. With WEX at the helm, current companies participating in the promotion of the blood drive include: Bowdoin College, Dead River Company, Geiger, Hannaford Supermarkets, Maine Beer Company, Masthead Maine, MEMIC, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Portland Sea Dogs, Unum, The VIA Agency and Wyman’s. Other companies expressing support are: IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., L.L. Bean, Luke’s Lobster, Pine State Trading Co., Stonewall Kitchen Company, and Thomas Moser Handmade American Furniture.

Please save a life and donate blood.