To help address the current emergency blood shortage, all who come to give blood or platelets with the American Red Cross through Aug. 29 will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email.

Currently, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of most blood types available and less than a two-day supply of type O blood.

Individuals can now schedule an appointment to give by activating Amazon’s Alexa Red Cross Blood Skill by saying, “Alexa, find a blood drive” or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 800-733-2767.

With the help of a $1 million donation from Amazon, the Red Cross hopes to motivate donors to roll up a sleeve and alleviate the blood shortage across the country. Amazon’s partnership with the Red Cross is part of their commitment to “Right Now Needs” to help increase blood donations to ensure patient needs are met.

A blood donation takes about an hour from start to finish, but the actual donation itself only takes about 8-10 minutes.

Donors can also save up to 15 minutes at the blood drive by completing a RapidPass.

With RapidPass, donors complete the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of donation, from a mobile device or computer.

To complete a RapidPass, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org

/RapidPass or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

For a complete list of upcoming blood donation opportunities, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org.

To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.

Area blood donation opportunities

Bedford County

Everett

Aug. 5 — 12:30 to 5 p.m., Seventh Day Adventist Church, 203 Drive In Lane

Saxton

Aug. 9 — 1 to 6:30 p.m., Saxton Fire Hall, 504 Eighth St.

Blair County

Altoona

July 30, Aug. 6 and Aug. 13 — Noon to 6 p.m., Altoona Blood Donation Center, 415 Orchard Ave.

Claysburg

Aug. 7 — 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Operation Services Center, 243 Sheetz Way.

Hollidaysburg

Aug. 5 — Noon to 5:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 810 Allegheny St.

Martinsburg

Aug. 15 — 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., Park at Martinsburg, 201 S. Walnut St.

Tyrone

Aug. 5 — 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, 548 Stevens Hill Road.

Aug. 8 — 1 to 7 p.m., Blazing Arrow Hook and Ladder Company, 1216 Blair Ave.

Williamsburg

Aug. 7 — Noon to 5:30 p.m., Farm Show Building, 1019 Recreation Drive.

Cambria County

Ashville

July 31 — 12:30 to 6 p.m., Ashville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, Main Street.

Loretto

Aug. 1 — 2:30 to 7 p.m., Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, 321 St. Mary St.

Nanty Glo

Aug. 14 — 3 to 7 p.m., Nanty Glo Fire Hall, 870 Chestnut St.

Northern Cambria

Aug. 14 — 12:30 to 6 p.m., St. John’s United Methodist Church, 910 Chestnut St.

St. Michael

Aug. 2 — Noon to 6 p.m., St. Michael Church, 751 Locust St.

Centre County

Port Matilda

July 30 — 1 to 6 p.m., Halfmoon Christian Fellowship, 1776 Halfmoon Valley Road.

University Park

July 29 — 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Business Building, Smeal Business Building.

July 30 — 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Penn State University Physical Plant Building, Conference Room.

July 30, 31 and Aug. 1 — 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Penn State HUB, Hetzel Union Building.

Clearfield County

Bigler

Aug. 13 — 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Cen-Clear Child Services, Inc., 50 Bigler Road.

Clearfield

Aug. 2 — Noon to 5:30 p.m., Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 1010 Dorey St.

Curwensville

Aug. 12 — 12:30 to 6 p.m., Community Center, Riverside Stadium.

DuBois

Aug. 8 — 1 to 6:30 p.m., Lakeside United Methodist Church, 420 First St.

Houtzdale

Aug. 12 — 2 to 6:30 p.m., The Wreck Center, 800 Hannah St.

Huntingdon County

Huntingdon

July 31 — 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., St. James Lutheran Church, 525 Mifflin St.

Aug. 6 — 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, 10700 Fairgrounds Road.

Aug. 13 — 12:30 to 6 p.m., Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church Education Center, 524 Mifflin St.

Three Springs

Aug. 1 — 1:30 to 7 p.m., Ambulance Building, 21301 Church St.

Warriors Mark

Aug. 6 — 1 to 6:30 p.m., Warriors Mark United Methodist Church, 1840 Centre Line Road, Route 550.