{"id":38139,"date":"2013-05-06T05:10:15","date_gmt":"2013-05-06T10:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/?p=38139"},"modified":"2013-05-06T05:10:15","modified_gmt":"2013-05-06T10:10:15","slug":"new-volunteers-needed-to-give-blood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2013\/05\/06\/new-volunteers-needed-to-give-blood\/","title":{"rendered":"New volunteers needed to give blood"},"content":{"rendered":"

American Red Cross news<\/em><\/p>\n

With summer around the corner, and the end of the school year in sight, new and eligible blood donors are urged to help strengthen the blood supply by volunteering to give in the next few weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile summer signals rest and relaxation for a lot of us, it\u2019s also a time we can work together to ensure blood is there for hospital patients,\u201d said Sharyn Whitman, CEO for the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Low blood supplies are typical from late May through September because regular donors and their families become busy with summer fun and may neglect to donate blood. At the same time, blood needs rise as increased roadway and travel-related accidents drain supplies — particularly during high travel weekends like Memorial Day. People seriously injured in an automobile accident, for instance, could need up to 40 units of blood for their emergency care.<\/p>\n

Every day, patients across the U.S. need an average of 38,000 units of blood. And while that need doesn\u2019t change with the season, the American Red Cross typically sees a dip in blood donations during the summer months. That dip, Red Cross officials say, is partly due to high school and college students being on summer break, and not giving through regularly scheduled school drives. High school and college students donate about 20 percent of the blood supply.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe need for blood never takes a vacation,\u201d said Whitman. \u201cWe\u2019re asking all eligible donors — including students — to remember the countless adults and children in need of blood, and to make donating blood part of their summer activities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donors who blood from May 28-June 2 through the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross will receive a cooler tote bag in celebration of Memorial Day.<\/p>\n

Upcoming area Red Cross blood drives:<\/strong><\/p>\n