AMERICAN RED CROSS ENCOURAGES EVERYONE TO ‘GIVE BLOOD … THE GIFT OF LIFE’ IN JANUARY, NATIONAL VOLUNTEER BLOOD DONOR MONTH (Thursday, Jan. 6 2005) ATLANTA – January is National Volunteer Blood Donor Month, when the American Red Cross and the American Association of Blood Banks pay tribute to all those who give blood and encourage eligible donors to donate at least twice in 2005.  This January, like many others, also is a time when blood donors are badly needed. As a result of the recent holidays, the current supply of blood and platelets in the region is at a severely low level and the Red Cross Southern Region is calling for donors to come in as soon as possible. The Southern Region, which includes Georgia and parts of Florida and South Carolina, saw donations fall by a third last month. The Red Cross strives to maintain no less than a three to five day supply of blood, but as of January 6, the Southern Region’s supply stood at below the two-day supply mark. “There are people of all ages, from infants to the elderly, whose lives are being sustained and improved because someone took the time to give of themselves by making a blood donation,” Chris Hrouda, vice president of the Southeast Division of the American Red Cross Biomedical Services observes. “However, there are a number of other patients whose treatments are being delayed because of blood shortages.” Nationally, only about five percent of eligible Americans donate blood, but in Georgia, that figure is closer to three percent. Blood collection levels typically fall at the end of each year, creating severe blood shortages every January. One person’s donation potentially helps up to three others to fight a blood disorder, cancer or have a lifesaving operation. “Medical science has come a long way over the years, but there still is no substitute for blood, the gift of life. Blood is a precious resource that can only come from volunteer donors,” Hrouda says. Blood donations can be made at any of the 15 Red Cross donor centers in Georgia and Florida. A donation can be made once every 56 days. Most healthy people age 17 or older, who weigh at least 110 pounds, can donate blood. The Red Cross Southern Region must collect 1,200 units of blood every weekday to meet the needs of patients in the community.