Red Cross to host blood drives

First events set for today at Castaic Middle School

Donating blood is a popular way for people to give back to their communities and potentially save lives, and the American Red Cross plans to host several blood drives across Santa Clarita.

“Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood, and that blood comes from volunteer donors because there is no synthetic alternative to donors for blood,” said Christine Welch, communications manager for the Red Cross. “We have an urgent need for blood coming out of the summer months because many of the regular donors are on vacation or are students who only donate during the school year. The process from registration to the ‘canteen’ portion, where donors can enjoy juice and cookies, only takes about an hour, and the actual donation portion only lasts about 10 minutes.”

According to Welch, one unit of blood drawn from each donor is equivalent to approximately one pint, and in order to meet the demand, the Red Cross needs to collect 13,000 units across the nation on each donation day. Type O blood, especially O negative, is in high demand because it can be given to anyone.

Individuals in good health who weigh at least 110 pounds and are age 17 or older, or age 16 with parental consent, are eligible to donate and are asked to bring two forms of identification. Illness, low iron count, certain medication and travel or residence in countries where malaria is prevalent are some common reasons for disqualification.

Those who donate during September will receive a voucher for a free haircut at Sport Clips, and donors in October will be entered for a chance to receive a $500 gift card from Tango Card.