The shootings at Fort Hood Thursday put a temporary strain on north Texas blood banks. Red Cross spokesman Cameron Ballentyne says the Red Cross and Carter Blood Care shipped everything they could to central Texas to care for the wounded, and that depleted their emergency supplies. Both agencies held special blood drives Friday to make up the deficiencies. The Red Cross is still calling for special donations, but Carter Blood Care is not. Carter's Chief Operating Officer, Bobby Grigsby says "the need has been met." He is asking those who want to help, to wait a few days until the holidays. Grigsby says the problem is anyone who donates now won't be able to do so again until early January, and that may create a blood shortage during the Thanksgiving to New Year's holidays. On the other hand, the Red Cross is still asking for donations, saying such donations will not only replenish the local supply, but help make up for a shipment sent from the Red Cross processing center in Tulsa.
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