Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood and the demand for blood is greater now than ever before.
The pandemic caused blood donation centers to close, and people became more hesitant to donate, but on Tuesday you could make a difference and save someone’s life because in honor of National Blood Donor Day. This is a day to raise awareness of the need for blood and blood products.
Jackie Grant, Executive Director at American Red Cross of Southwest Virginia says, “This year we want to have a variety of things. We want to thank our volunteers’ donors. We want to highlight the need for year-round donations, recognize the value of volunteer donors and then raise awareness for organizations that support blood donations, including the American Red Cross.”
You can help by donating at a local blood drive or by making an appointment at your local American Red Cross. Jackie Grant says the need for blood increases more in the summer because people are traveling, and schools are not holding blood drives.
The American Red Cross has local offices in Roanoke and in Lynchburg. Click here to make an appointment.