TEN GREAT REASONS TO BE A BLOOD DONOR

January is National Blood Donor Month. Will you be giving the gift of life?

1. Donating blood is safe and simple. It takes just 10 minutes to donate a pint of blood.

2. You could help save up to three people’s lives every time you donate blood!

3. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. More than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day, according to the American Red Cross.

4. Your blood could help save a woman with pregnancy complications, such as ectopic pregnancy or blood loss before, during or after childbirth.

5. Your blood could help save someone involved in a car crash. A car accident victim may need as much as 100 pints of blood.

6. Blood can only be stored for a limited time. Regular blood donations ensure that safe blood will be available when and where it is needed.

7. You or someone you love might need blood someday.

8. Blood cannot be made in a lab, so the gift of blood to save lives can only come from donors like me and you.

9. You will get a free mini health screening. Before you donate blood, your resting heartbeat, blood pressure, cholesterol and hemoglobin levels will be checked.

10. No special reason…you’re just the kind of person who does good things for no reason at all. That’s just how you are…

You can find a blood drive near you and book an appointment online to give blood at www.bloodhero.com. See the Events section on Page 4 for an upcoming blood drive in Avondale.