Merrill blood drive set for Aug. 13 amid critical shortage

The Community Blood Center (CBC) is urging Merrill-area residents to donate blood as part of its 2026 Summer Tour for All Types (STAT), citing a critical shortage in its inventory.
According to the CBC, blood inventory has dropped to crisis levels due to increased emergency use, fewer donors, and severe weather disruptions, while a patient in the U.S. still needs blood every two seconds. A single donation can save up to three lives during surgeries, cancer treatments, emergencies, and other patient needs.
The Merrill STAT blood drive will be held Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Northwoods Veterans Post, 601 Johnson St. The drive is being held in partnership with the Northwoods Veterans Post, and the CBC will make a monetary donation to the post for every unit of blood collected.
A STAT drive will also be held in Wausau on Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Northcentral Technical College, 1000 W. Campus Drive, in partnership with the Northcentral Technical College Foundation.
“Patients need blood products faster than donations are coming in,” said John Hagins, President and CEO of the CBC and Chair of the AABB Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism. “The blood collected at the STAT blood drives directly supports patients in our region. We are asking both regular and first-time donors to act now.”

The CBC set a goal of collecting more than 1,200 blood donations across all of its STAT events this summer, to include events held in Appleton, Waupaca, Chicago, Rhinelander, Wausau, and Merrill.
All donors will receive a limited-edition T-shirt and breakfast or lunch. First-time donors will also receive a $25 eGift card as a welcome to the CBC’s Lifesaver Rewards program, along with 1,000 bonus points. To schedule a donation, visit communityblood.org/stat or call 800.280.4102.
The CBC was established in 1955 and operates as an independent nonprofit providing blood to hospitals across the Midwest, with donor centers in Wisconsin and Illinois.