Blood donations needed Thursday
Blood drives are needed year-round, even during the holiday season, according to the Red Cross.
For this reason, the city of Santa Clarita is partnering with the American Red Cross on Thursday to provide a community blood drive.
The drive, to be held in the Sycamore Room at The Centre, will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
According to Red Cross spokeswoman Christine Welch, one donation can save up to three lives and every two seconds someone needs a unit of blood.
Welch said blood is perishable and thus cannot be stockpiled, which means the need is ongoing throughout the year.
“Each and every day, individuals across the country depend on blood and platelet donations for lifesaving treatments and emergency care, so it’s critical that people donate now to meet these needs,” said Cliff Numark, senior vice president of Red Cross Blood Services.
The Red Cross’ standard is to keep a five-day supply of blood for emergencies and to meet the needs of patients who require significant volumes of donated blood.
Residents interested in signing up to donate blood at the Community Blood Drive can do so at redcrossblood.org, using the sponsor code, cityofsantaclarita.
Participants can also walk in on the donation day to evaluate their eligibility for donation. They can also start the process by using RapidPass, which allows them to assess their eligibility and save 15 minutes.
More information can be found at redcross.org/rapidpass. Residents just need a valid ID to donate.
For more information about this event, contact Amanda Santos at 661-2554923 or asantos@santa-clarita.com.