Red Cross needs summer blood donors

American Red Cross information

The American Red Cross urges eligible donors to give blood in August and help meet the constant need for blood products by patients. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood.

Summer is an especially difficult time to collect enough blood to meet the needs of hospital patients. Despite travel and other activities that may cause some donors to be less available to give, the Red Cross must collect 15,000 blood donations every day to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country.

With more summer days ahead, every blood donation is important in helping ensure blood is available for patients in need, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those who need it. Donors of all blood types — especially those with types AB, O negative, A negative and B negative — are needed to help ensure blood products are available to hospital patients this summer.

To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross blood donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.2767).

Paulding County

August 6, from noon-6 p.m. — Paulding County Historical Society, 600 Fairgrounds Drive in Paulding.

Van Wert County

August 7, from 1-6 p.m. — Van Wert Health Center, 140 Fox Road in Van Wert.