The American Red Cross is using the month of January to remind people of the importance of donating blood. Because blood donations often drop off right after the holidays, January has been recognized as Blood Donor Awareness Month since 1970, to raise awareness of the need for blood and platelet donations during the winter months.
According to the Red Cross, while 38% of the population is eligible to donate blood at any given time, typically only about 10% actually do. In the United States, someone needs blood every two seconds, and nearly 21 million blood components are transfused every year. Despite medical and technological advances, blood cannot be manufactured, so donations are the only way to get blood to those in need. The organization also notes that one donation can save three lives.
If you would like to sign up to donate blood, you can find places to donate by visiting https://www.redcrossblood.org/ or http://www.aabb.org/tm/donation/Pages/Blood-Bank-Locator.aspx.
