Red Cross launching blood drive dubbed “Missing Types”

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - World Blood Donor Day is coming, and the Red Cross is launching a campaign to attract new blood donors.

Officials are holding a press conference Monday in Albany to provide details about the campaign dubbed Missing Types. They’ll also reveal results of a recent survey about the public’s perception of blood donations and patient transfusion needs.

During the campaign, the letters A, B, and O - symbols of the main blood groups - will disappear from brands, social media pages, signs and websites to illustrate the critical role every blood donor plays.

U.S. health officials say they need to collect more than 13 million blood units annually to meet the needs of patients. The Red Cross provides around 40 percent of that total.

World Blood Donor Day is Thursday.