FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Put Blood Donation On Your Summertime “To Do” List

JULY 6, 2005, SEATTLE WA — What’s at the top of your ”to do” list this summer? That dream vacation? Or is it something practical around the old homestead, like scraping and staining that moldy wood siding? Or even cleaning the two-car garage that holds everything but cars? Or maybe finally painting over the kids’ pink and blue bedroom walls now that they’re entering middle school.

Well, you can do all that, plus swim, boat, play softball, hold picnics, attend concerts under the stars, and all the other things you’ve planned and still have time for the most important summer activity of all – saving a life. All you have to do is give blood.

It’s simple, really. And it takes about an hour. After registration and some eligibility questions, actual donation takes only seven to ten minutes. Then there are refreshments to replenish your system. “And each donated unit of blood is separated into platelets, plasma and red blood cells,” said Blood Center spokesman A.J. Pasquarelli. ”So each donation can help three people.”

And that help is needed especially during summer. That’s because high schools are closed, and school drives provide the Blood Center with 17 percent of its blood supply. Also, many regular donors take vacations and are unavailable to give blood. “In addition, more cars are on the road in the summer, and that means more car accidents. Consequently, more blood is needed,” said Pasquarelli.

The Blood Center holds dozens of mobile blood drives daily around the Sound. Visit the Blood Center’s Web site at www.psbc.org or call 1-800-398-7888 to find a blood drive near you.

Serving 70 hospitals and clinics in Western Washington, Puget Sound Blood Center is an independent, community based blood center internationally recognized for its research, medical and blood and tissue services. For those who cannot donate at a mobile blood drive, contact one of the locations below:

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