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Staff Reports

Americus, GA – The American Red Cross will conduct a blood drive on Tuesday, November 14 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on the campus of South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) in Americus. The blood drive will be held in the Hicks Hall student union on the Americus campus, and all eligible donors are encouraged to participate. Students from the SGTC Practical Nursing program will be on hand to assist the Red Cross.

Donors at this event will receive an exclusive pair of Elf & Red Cross socks to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the release of the holiday classic film, ELF.

By taking a moment from your day to donate, you may be giving someone else a chance at life. A single blood donation can be separated into components, which can actually help more than one person. Accident victims and surgery and anemia patients can benefit from red blood cells, and platelets help with blood clot and are often used for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Also, plasma is often used to treat patients suffering from burns, shock, or bleeding disorders.

The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds and most people will need blood at some point in their lifetime.

Most healthy people can give blood every 56 days. In order to give blood, an individual must be at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good general health. Donors are encouraged to get a good night’s sleep the night before donating, eat a well-balanced meal, and drink lots of fluids prior to donating.