The American Red Cross in Central Ohio Needs Donations
By: Macy Gilbert
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ATHENS, Ohio–Every 2 seconds, someone in America is in need of blood. Every 60 seconds, 44 people are assisted by the American Red Cross.
Over 200,000 blood drives are held each year in the United States. 20% of all blood donations come from high schools and colleges. The central Ohio Region alone needs 800 blood donations every day to meet the region’s demand.
The American Red Cross helps patients in over 2,600 hospitals around the country. Each day, it must collect 14,000 units of blood.
Blood donations help millions of people in need nationwide. Each donation takes about an hour, and can save up to 3 lives. Many Ohio University students feel as if it is their role to aid in helping others.
“For me, it has always been a civic duty,” Matt Johnson said. “I feel like it’s something I need to do in order to fulfill my role as part of the community and to give back to save someone else’s life.”
Critical blood shortages have been very common in central Ohio due to the amount of emergencies that require blood donations.
“I feel like if you are walking through an area and you’re presented with an opportunity to help somebody,” Logan Hall said. “It’s fairly simple, you should always just take it, because there’s no reason not to make the world a better place.”
The Red Cross urges eligible donors to give now to help ensure blood is available throughout the rest of the holiday season to meet the patients needs.
“I love being able to help someone else who may be losing their life, and knowing, my blood can save their life. Every little bit helps,” Johnson said.
The next blood drive in Athens is on November 28th.