Blood Drive planned in Ipswich

Did you know that only five percent of the population donates blood to meet 100% of patient blood needs?

The next opportunity to give locally will be Thursday, Aug. 22 at Father Bormann Hall in Ipswich from 12 to 3:45 p.m. The Ipswich Lions are sponsoring the drive. Contact Larry Stafford, 605-216-7354 to make an appointment or call Vitalant at 877-258-4825 for more information.

Misconceptions are a big reason why more people don’t donate blood but new donors are always in high demand.

While much more goes into qualifying a donor to safely give blood, there are many common instances when people assume they can’t give blood but generally is not disqualifying. Some of these include taking medication including blood pressure, cholesterol, or anti-depressants, traveling outside the U.S., getting a tattoo or piercing, or having a history of cancer.

Potential donors are encouraged to call Vitalant to find out if they are eligible to donate blood.

To save time, donors can now fill out their Health History Questionnaire online at www.vitalant.org the day of their donation.