The American Red Cross is really short of blood. The donations made in December were down and the institution is now hoping to make some gains at the blood drives scheduled in the following days in New Hampshire, Florida.

The shortage was mainly caused by the ice storm which hit on December 11 and left much of the state without electricity. As a consequence, eight blood drives had to be canceled. The most important of them was the large blood drive at the Somersworth Armory which organizers were expecting to gain about 200 pints of blood. However, the Red Cross officials said they will try to reschedule that blood drive.

Red Cross officials said the blood supply was 635 pints short of the goal on December 28. The last blood drive that took place in the Seacoast area was in January at Applebee's on Indian Brook Drive in Dover. The event generated 28 pints of blood.

"Patients need blood constantly, and you can't store it very long once you have it," said Heidi Pripp, the Seacoast area donor recruitment representative for the Red Cross' New England Region.

"We usually operate on a two-day blood supply, and we need to keep it where it should be at all times."

In other states, the need of blood led to collaborations. For example, in Albany, N.Y., the Red Cross worked toghether with Dunkin' Donuts and Siena Athletics and launched the program "Give a Pint, Get a Pound" at the Times Union Center. All blood donors will get a coupon for a free pound of coffee at blood drives in the Greater Capital region.