The American Red Cross is asking for blood donation this holiday season. According to the Independent Mail, the organization’s blood supply frequently dips below ideal levels during the winter months and this year, it’s making a plea to collect 30,000 pints of blood between now and December 31.
Red Cross spokeswoman April Phillips attributes the low supply to the lack of available blood donors during the holiday season.
“We get about 20 percent of all the blood we collect each year from high school and college blood drives, so when school is not in session, those donations are not coming in,” Phillips said. “Unfortunately, the need for blood never stops. It never takes a break for the holidays, so the patients in local hospitals still need that blood. So it is very important for people to continue to give the gift of life during the holiday season.”
The Red Cross takes all blood types, but is in especial need of type O negative, Phillips added. According to the Independent Mail, that’s the universal blood type. Because less than 10 percent of the population has type O negative, it can be tricky to collect but its ability to interact with all other blood types makes it a necessity.
Phillips explained that in order to donate blood, people must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. The Red Cross is also in need of platelets and plasma.
