Interview With Red Cross' Logan Wright

Last week, we were able to talk to Logan Wright of Red Cross in Wichita about blood donation shortages, what the foundation does and how it can be useful for Kansans.

Since the beginning of 2026, over 500 blood drives have been cancelled, leading to more than 20,000 blood donations to go uncollected according to the American Red Cross.

Even with better weather in Kansas in the later parts of winter, Wright says the lack of donations still hits hard.

"While we might now be coming into an easier couple of days here, that shortage still remains," Wright said. "We're still looking for more people to donate more blood and to make sure that we can have blood on the shelves through an emergency."

While the Red Cross may be better known for its blood drives, it serves as a crucial fire and disaster response entity. According to Wright, the Red Cross responds to almost 65,000 house fires a year across the nation.

The Red Cross deploys disaster action teams, a group of people on call to respond when disasters occur, especially in the winter season.

"We see a lot of fires during the winter because people are going places for holidays or they're cooking more inside or using heaters," Wright said.

The disaster action teams are made up of a lot of volunteers, and Wright implores people to give it a shot.

"We really encourage people if they have time or they really feel a need to give back to the community, you can be the person who shows up for your neighbors, for your community on one of the worst days of their lives," Wright said.

Wright also touched on their impact on the northwest Kansas area.

"We have dedicated people who manage those areas for blood drives, so they're always on our radar," Wright said.