News Release: December 28, 2001
Contact: Janice Osborne, Manager-Media & Community Affairs
(610) 865-4400, ext. 262
January 2002 is National Volunteer Blood Donor Month across the United States and your American Red Cross encourages you to consider donating blood or sponsoring a blood drive where you work or worship.
The American Red Cross will hold blood drives in Carbon County on the following days and locations:
Wednesday, Jan. 2 at the Gnaden Huetten Hospital Conference Center, 6th and Iron streets, Lehighton, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.; and Tuesday, Jan. 29 at the Nesquehoning Recreation Center, West Railroad Street, Nesquehoning, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Anyone donating before
Jan. 5 will receive a Holiday Heroes T-shirt.
"All blood types are needed and there is an urgent need for people to donate with O-Negative and B-Negative blood," said Molly Groody, Red Cross spokesperson.
"If all who are eligible to donate blood would do so on a regular basis (three to four times per year), blood needs could be met and shortages could become a thing of the past," added Groody.
"Blood donors are true heroes. Their gift of a part of themselves helps save lives," Groody continued. "The American Red Cross honors our blood donors during January, recognizing them for true acts of heroism."
This is the 32nd year that January has been designated to highlight the increasing need for blood donors.
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. Blood helps accident victims, people undergoing surgery, and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer and other diseases.
American Red Cross Blood Services, Northeastern Pennsylvania Region (NEPA), supplies 41 hospitals with blood and blood products in 21 counties in Pennsylvania and three in New York.
Most healthy people who are at least 17 years of age, and who weigh 105 pounds or more, are eligible to donate blood. Donors are required to wait 56 days between donations. For more information, please call 1-800-GIVE LIFE. Please bring some form of ID.
The American Red Cross is not a government agency. All Red Cross disaster assistance is an outright grant. It is made possible through the generous voluntary contributions by the American people of time, materials and money. The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 660,000 residents in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training and emergency relief services to more than 15,500 Lehigh Valley residents.
For more information about the local Red Cross, visit our Web site at www.redcrosslv.org.
