CHARLOTTE — The American Red Cross is teaming up with Hello Kitty® and Friends for a September blood donation campaign aimed at maintaining the nation’s blood supply as seasonal pressures threaten to reduce donor availability.
The campaign combines the Red Cross’s ongoing push for blood and platelet donations with a limited-edition collectible incentive. Donors who participate from Sept. 1 through Sept. 20, 2026, can receive an exclusive Red Cross × Hello Kitty plush mascot clip and surprise sticker pack while supplies last.
The initiative comes as the Red Cross says the blood supply continues to recover after reaching critically low levels earlier in the summer. Thousands of people donated during the summer, helping improve supplies, but the organization cautions that maintaining those gains will require continued participation.
September Brings New Challenges for Blood Donations
The start of the school year can make regular donors less available as families, students and communities adjust to changing schedules. At the same time, tropical weather systems in the Atlantic can disrupt blood drives and prevent donations in affected areas.
Those pressures make donations collected elsewhere particularly important because blood products may be needed in communities where severe weather or natural disasters temporarily interrupt collection efforts.
The Red Cross is encouraging eligible donors to schedule and keep appointments throughout September to help stabilize inventories and reduce the risk of another shortage.
The organization said: “One small act of kindness can travel far. Spark joy and book a time to give blood or platelets by visiting”
Appointments can also be arranged through the American Red Cross Blood Donor App or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS.
Hello Kitty Collaboration Adds Donor Incentive
The partnership with Hello Kitty® and Friends is centered on themes of kindness, comfort and shared care. According to the Red Cross, a single blood or platelet donation can potentially help more than one patient.
The limited-edition plush mascot clip and surprise sticker pack are intended as a thank-you for donors participating during the campaign period. The items will be available only while supplies last.
The promotion gives the Red Cross another way to attract attention to blood donation during a period when the organization says supplies remain vulnerable. The collaboration also connects a widely recognized consumer character brand with a public-service campaign focused on maintaining hospital blood inventories.
Donation Opportunities Across North Carolina and South Carolina
Numerous blood drives are planned across western North Carolina and parts of South Carolina during the campaign.
Participating communities include Asheville, Arden, Black Mountain, Banner Elk, Newland, Andrews, Hayesville, Canton, Waynesville, Hendersonville, Mills River, Cullowhee, Sylva, Franklin, Highlands, Otto, Marshall, Marion, Spruce Pine, Columbus, Forest City, Rutherfordton, Spindale, Brevard, Burnsville and Gaffney.
Asheville has one of the largest concentrations of opportunities, with repeated donation sessions planned at the Asheville Blood Donation Center. Additional community drives are scheduled at churches, schools, libraries, YMCA facilities, community centers and other locations across the region.
Who May Be Eligible to Donate Blood
The Red Cross says all blood types are needed to maintain a reliable supply for patients. Donors are required to provide a blood donor card, driver’s license or two other acceptable forms of identification when checking in.
In most states, individuals who are at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and are generally in good health may be eligible to donate. In states where permitted by law, 16-year-olds may donate with parental consent. Additional height and weight requirements apply to high school students and other donors age 18 and younger.
Blood and platelet donors can also use RapidPass® on the day of their donation to complete required pre-donation reading and the health history questionnaire before arriving at the blood drive.
Red Cross Focuses on Maintaining a Reliable Supply
Blood collection depends on a steady flow of eligible donors rather than donations made only when inventories reach emergency levels. The September campaign is therefore focused on maintaining consistent participation as summer ends and seasonal disruptions become more likely.
By combining the appeal of Hello Kitty® and Friends with its blood donation campaign, the Red Cross is seeking to broaden awareness while encouraging both returning and first-time donors to participate.
With hospitals relying on donated blood products for patient care every day, maintaining a stable supply will depend on donors continuing to schedule and keep appointments throughout September.
