Letters to the editor

at St. Mary's

To the Editor:

As a Clyde resident and volunteer for the American Red Cross Western Lake Erie Blood Services Region, it is my job to schedule blood donors in Seneca and Sandusky Counties and to educate the public on the importance of donating blood. I am very fortunate to have a job I love and one that allows me to give back to my community. There are a few startling facts that many do not know about blood donation.

* Did you know that only 4 percent of the eligible population donate?

* Did you know that we need to collect 300 units of blood per day to keep our 23 area hospital stocked with enough blood products?

* Did you know that you can donate six times per year and every donation saves up to 3 lives?

* Did you know that 20 percent of the blood supply comes from High Schools and Colleges, so when they are not in session inventories often plunge?

We have many generous employers that allow the American Red Cross to come on site to host blood drives. Some companies host drives as many as four times per year. Churches and service organizations also host community bloodmobiles. If you would like more information, please contact Carol Dell at 419-343-6285 or dellcj@usa.redcross.org.

In an effort to increase donations in the summer, the Red Cross recently kicked off their biggest promotion to date. Anyone that comes to donate blood from now through Sept. 27 can enter a raffle to win a 105th Anniversary Edition Harley Davidson Sportster - courtesy of Napoleon Harley Davidson. To find out more information on this amazing summer campaign please call 1-800 Give Life.

The next Clyde community bloodmobile will be at St. Mary's (air-conditioned) Hall, 609 Vine St. on Wednesday, July 16 noon to 6 p.m. Each donor will receive a free t-shirt, enter the Harley raffle...and ice cream and homemade cookies. Call (419)639-3187 now for an appointment to donate.

I'm proud to say area donors are very committed to helping others, but there is always room to collect more life saving donations.

Sincerely,

Sandy Kessler,

Volunteer Coordinator

Clyde