Resolve to Give Blood at the KARE 11-American Red Cross Blood Drive

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Make saving lives a habit this New Year

TWIN CITIES, Minn. (December 27, 2007) – Celebrate the New Year and get started on your resolutions by donating blood at the KARE 11-American Red Cross blood drive, sponsored by Securian Financial Group, Inc., on Friday, January 4, 2008 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m at KARE 11’s studios – 8811 Olson Memorial Highway in Golden Valley.

Eligible donors can call 1.800.GIVE.LIFE or go online and enter sponsor code 6762 to make an appointment to donate blood. A blood donor card or driver’s license are required at check-in. Donors must be at least 17 years old and must weigh at least 110 pounds.

The blood supply is particularly vulnerable during the winter months. Colds, flu and inclement weather can cause significant decreases in blood donations. Nevertheless, the need for blood continues unabated.

Giving blood now will help build the supply and ensure that blood continues to be readily available for patients at more than 100 hospitals in Minnesota and western Wisconsin served by the Red Cross, as well as hospitals throughout the country. Approximately two-thirds of the hospitals in the Twin Cities metro area and Minnesota rely on blood donated to the American Red Cross.

Red Cross volunteers will also be available at the blood drive to answer questions about Red Cross services and involvement opportunities. Every presenting donor has the opportunity to enter a drawing for a free Red Cross mini first aid kit! And “B-Safe Bear” – the lovable Red Cross safety mascot – will be on-hand too.

By resolving to be a regular blood donor, you can help the nearly 5 million people who need blood transfusions every year. Donors have the chance to give on a regular basis: donate whole blood every 56 days, donate automated double red cells every 112 days, donate platelets every three days (up to 24 times a year) and donate plasma every 28 days.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICES
The St. Paul, Minnesota-based North Central Region supplies blood products and specialized laboratory services to more than 100 hospitals in Minnesota, western Wisconsin and eastern South Dakota. In a lifesaving partnership with approximately 127,000 volunteer blood donors, 4,000 volunteer blood drive coordinators and 630 staff members, the North Central Region organizes nearly 5,000 blood drives in an effort to collect approximately 240,000 pints of blood each year. The American Red Cross is the single largest single blood supplier in the United States.

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