The American Red Cross, Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Region reports that area blood supplies are being used as fast as donations are processed, and the region, including Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties, is not able to maintain adequate emergency supplies. All eligible donors are asked to call (800) 448 3543 or (301) 934-2006 and schedule a blood-donation appointment, immediately.
Potential donors can also go to http://southernmaryland.redcross, the Web site of the Southern Maryland Red Cross Chapter, said Mike Zabko, CEO at the chapter’s La Plata headquarters. The local blood drives scheduled for August and September can be found by clicking on Help the Red Cross and Give Blood.
“A donor can donate blood every 56 days, or six times a year, said volunteer Jesse Davis, who organizes the regular, Lions Club-sponsored blood drive on the third Friday of every month at St. Andrews Church, 44078 Saint Andrews Church Road. “You don’t have to worry”, though, he said, the Red Cross will make sure you don’t give too soon.
“People today are so busy in their daily lives. They don’t think about donating blood until they need it, and then they expect it to be on the shelf,” Zabko said when asked why blood donations are down. People need to think ahead and donate blood, he added. ”The life you save could be your own.”
To donate blood, donors must be in generally good health, be 17 years of age or 16 years of age with parental consent, weigh not less than 110 pounds, have not received a tattoo within the last year and have not donated whole blood within the last 56 days.
Tri-County Blood Drive Schedules for August
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