BY KAREN BOSSICK
St. Lukes Wood River volunteers and the American Red Cross are hosting a blood drive on Wednesday, July 25.
Blood will be drawn from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. that day in the Baldy and River Run Conference Rooms at St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center near Ketchum.
Right now there is an urgent need for blood types A, B and O, as blood donation are being distributed to hospitals faster than they are coming in.
”In the hour it takes to donate blood you can help save the lives of patients in your community and across the country,” said Teresa Laird and Cheri Watson, co-chairs of the Volunteer Board Blood Drive Committee.
Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. But the number of new donors has declined by 80,000 each year for the past four. Less than 38percent of the population is eligible to give and only about 3 percent of the population donates blood.
Those wishing to donate blood on Wednesday can visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule a blood donation. Donors must be 17 or older, in good health and weigh at least 110 pounds.