Lads and Lasses,

I'm doing a bit of a PSA. My local Lions Club is hosting a blood drive, as we do three times annually, this Tuesday. I am in charge of calling past donors to ask them to come and give another pint. I also help to educate new donors about the benefits of donating blood and coming up with ways to get new donors to give. There is a great need for lifesaving blood and blood products. Most of us know someone who has used or will potentially need to use blood products. People would be surprised by who uses these blood products. Most think automatically of accident victims, and that's true. But many people with serious illnesses, like cancer, do benefit from blood products that are obtained from donors every day.

There are many reasons why people do or do not donate. If you can, and want to, please go to your local blood center and give a pint. If you cannot or prefer not to donate blood, here's how you can help:

The next time you go for a pint of ale, ice cream, or Starbucks coffee, reach into your pocket a little further and donate a matching amount to your local blood center. Those dollars will help save lives just as much as a pint of blood--and there are no needles. Thank you kindly.