Sixty percent of the people in our region are eligible to give blood, but only about five percent actually donate blood. To be eligible to give, donors must be healthy, be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and not have given blood in the last 56 days. There is no upper age limit for donating blood. It takes about an hour to give blood, but your donation can add years to the life of someone in need. You can not get AIDS or hepatitis or any other disease by giving blood.
Blood is drawn by gloved phlebotomists using only sterile, disposable needles and supplies.
The pint of blood you give can save up to three lives. You can give blood six times a year or every 56 days. If once-yearly donors would give twice, we would not experience the blood shortages we now frequently do. Blood shortages typically occur around major summer and winter holidays, primarily because the donors who supply the blood don't make the time to give. There is no substitute for human blood or for the extraordinary people who donate.