Campaign to boost DO GOOD factors and help offset possible summer blood shortages

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Donate blood, play the Summer Scratch-off Sweepstakes and feel good!

ST. PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Experts agree, by doing good you can feel good too. In fact, researchers at Duke University and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke have discovered that acts of generosity activate a particular brain region and the trigger feelings of pleasure or joy. The local American Red Cross Blood Services region is helping to trigger those feelings by encouraging eligible individuals to donate blood this summer, shoring up the local blood supply for patients in need when levels can drop as much as 10 percent during the summer months.

Visit http://www.givebloodgivelife.org today to schedule a blood donation appointment and take a fun quiz to find out how your Red Cross DO GOOD factor measures up. Those who come to a participating Red Cross blood donation site May 23 through September 10, 2007 will receive a Summer Sweepstakes Scratch-off card and the chance to win music downloads, an iPod™, a DVD player or a flat screen TV. Also, many will win a $5 discount at the Red Cross online store, redcrossstore.org, where first aid kits, Red Cross apparel and other gear can be purchased. Blood donation appointments can also be made by calling 1.800.GIVE.LIFE. Call 651.291.6718 or 1.800.835.9802 in the Twin Cities metro area to make a platelet donation appointment.

“Patients in hospitals throughout the area are counting on the DO GOOD nature of people in the community this summer to donate blood,” said Rick Panning, CEO of the local Red Cross Blood Services region. “Our goal is to maintain safe levels of all blood types, helping both donors and patients to feel good all summer long.”

Collecting blood during the summer months is often more difficult than during other times of the year. Colleges, universities and high schools, where up to 20 percent of the Red Cross’ blood donations come from, are not in session. Vacations and general disruptions to summer schedules can further exacerbate the drop in donations. But patient need is constant. In fact, someone in America needs a blood transfusion approximately every two seconds.

Nationwide, 38,000 pints of blood must be collected every day just to keep up with demand. Cancer patients, accident victims, people undergoing major surgery and people with some chronic illnesses all need blood. An adequate blood supply is also a critical part of national emergency preparedness planning.

On average, just 5 percent of eligible individuals donate blood. Because each pint of blood can be separated into three components – red cells, platelets and plasma – each donation can help to save up to three lives. A blood donor card or driver’s license is required at check-in. Donors must be at least 17 years old  and must weigh at least 110 pounds. All blood types are needed – especially type O and RH negative types.

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.

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Editor’s Note: For Do Good. Feel Good. Give Blood. campaign images or to speak to a blood donor, a blood recipient or an American Red Cross representative, please contact Nick Gehrig at 651.291.3286 or Jill Applegate at 651.291.3290.  

For more information about Duke University and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke studies please visit www.dukemednews.org and www.sciencentral.com .

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