Photo by Shelley Hanson - Mary Flowers of Lansing gives her “Power Red” donation during Monday’s American Red Cross Media Day Blood Drive held at Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack.

WHEELING — If one is not sure they want to commit to donating their blood every 56 days, there is another donation method that results in less frequent calls from the American Red Cross.

A regular whole blood donation can be done by a healthy person every 56 days. That’s one pint of blood. It takes 56 days for the body to recover from a whole blood donation.

For many donors giving every couple months is OK, but there is an alternative — called “Power Red.” Power Red allows a donor to give two units of their red cells in one sitting. Larry Lecci, an American Red Cross phlebotomist, said a centrifuge machine is used to separate the donor’s red blood cells from the plasma in their blood. The red cells are kept and one’s plasma and platelets are given back to the donor, he said.

During Monday’s Media Day Blood Drive, Lansing resident Mary Flowers was doing a Power Red donation.

She said it takes a little longer than a regular whole blood donation — about 30 minutes — but it is worth it to her.

Flowers said she started donating her blood a couple years ago and decided Power Red was the way to go.

“I donate Power Red because there’s a longer time between donations,” she said. “That’s honestly why I do it. … That’s the way I like to do it.”

Power Red donations can be made every 112 days or about three times per year. According to the Red Cross, saline is also added when the plasma and platelets are returned, which can allow a donor to feel more hydrated after their donation.

Power Red donations are reserved for Type O, A negative or B negative donors. Lecci noted Flowers’ blood type — O negative — is special as it is the universal blood type that can be given to any patient in need no matter what type of blood they have.

Lecci said he had 20 different Power Red appointments slated during Monday’s drive held at Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack.