Donate blood Monday, Aug. 24

The next opportunity to donate blood in your community will be Monday, Aug. 24 at Father Bormann Hall in Ipswich from 12 to 4:30 p.m.

Contact Jerry Brooks at 605-380-1925 to make an appointment. Or call Vitalant at 1-877-25-VITAL for more information.

Blood donation transforms lives of those who give and those who receive.

There is no substitute for blood. It is essential for life. It carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, fights infections and helps heal wounds. Blood donors are amazing. When you roll up your sleeve to donate, you make an immeasureable difference.

Quick Blood Facts

• Blood makes up about seven percent of your body’s weight.

• There are 10 to 12 pints of blood in the body of an average adult

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.

• Blood travels through 60,000 miles of vessels inside you, enough to wrap around the earth’s equator roughly 2.5 times.

To save time, donors can fill out their Health History online at http://www.vitalant.org the day of their donation. To donate blood, volunteers must be at least 16 years old and in good health (16 and 17 year old donors need a minor donor permit which is available online).