News Release: May 16, 2002
Contact: Janice Osborne, Manager-Media & Community Affairs
(610) 865-4400, ext. 262
The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley urges residents to mark their calendars this month and give blood. Blood donors with O-Negative and B-Negative blood types are especially encouraged to give blood.
"Modern medicine has made complex and life-saving surgeries possible. However, without a safe and plentiful supply of blood, no one would benefit from these advances," said Molly Groody, spokesperson for American Red Cross Blood Services, Northeastern Pennsylvania Region (NEPA). "Blood donation is safe and easy. It only takes about an hour. An hour of your time spent donating blood could help to save a life."
All donors this month will receive a personal-size American Red Cross cooler bag, a perfect item for the upcoming summer months.
The American Red Cross bloodmobile will visit three locations in Carbon County in May:
Saturday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- Palmerton Borough Hall, 443 Delaware Avenue, Palmerton;
Wednesday, May 29, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. -- Gnaden Heutten Memorial Conference Center, Sixth & Iron streets, Lehighton; and
Thursday, May 30, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.-- Jim Thorpe Memorial Hall, East 10th Street, Jim Thorpe.
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 15,700 Lehigh Valley residents.
For more information about the local Red Cross, visit our Web site at www.redcrosslv.org.
