Red Cross asks for donations for Donorama
The winter is well on its way, bringing holidays of thanks and time spent with families.
This winter, by giving blood at an American Red Cross blood drive, residents can help make sure that those who find themselves in need of blood through the holiday period will have a chance to enjoy another holiday with family.
Volunteer blood donors in Madison County will get a chance to give blood and save lives at the “Ribbon of Life” blood drive, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 14 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Dublin Park (located at 8324 Old Madison Pike) and Wednesday, Dec.29 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Madison Municipal Complex (located at 100 Hughes Road).
Because blood can be separated into three components – blood, platelets and plasma – one donation can benefit up to three individuals. Because it takes up to three days for blood to be processed and made available to hospitals, it is important that a donation be made ahead of an emergency. If everyone who was eligible would donate four times a year, there would never be a blood shortage.
If giving blood, make sure to prepare for the process. Double your fluid intake in the 48 hours leading up to the drive. Make sure to eat a nutritious meal the night before, as well as the day of, the blood drive. Eat iron-rich foods such as lean beef, broccoli, eggs, greens, shrimp or dried beans. Also consume foods rich in Vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, cabbage, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep before the drive.
All presenting volunteer donors in the months of October, November and December will be entered into a regional drawing for one of two pairs of round-trip tickets on Delta Air Lines as part of the “Fly Into the Holidays with Delta” promotion.
The American Red Cross, Blood Services, Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region , which supplies blood to approximately 100 hospitals, needs 800 blood donors each day in order to meet the needs of patients in the region. Blood donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. Please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.redcrossblood.org to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets.
