GREENSBURG — Holidays are a slow time for blood donation because people are especially busy. However, the need for blood doesn’t take a holiday. Patients are still in the hospital and needing transfusions.
To help meet the need, Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) will host a Holiday Blood Drive from 2 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8 in Conference Room D at the hospital.
All those eligible are asked to sign up to give back this holiday season. A single pint of donated blood can save up to three lives. Everyone is encouraged to roll up their sleeves for those in need.
Anyone interested in donating blood can easily sign up for a donation appointment online at www.donorpoint.org. Walk-in donations are also welcome. All participants who register online prior to the blood drive and donate at the event will be entered to win a $25 Walmart gift card. The winner will be announced after the blood drive.
Qualified donors must meet the following criteria: must be at least 17-years-old and weigh at least 110 pounds; must wait 56 days between donations; must be in good general health; must not be pregnant. Donors are asked to eat a meal and drink plenty of water in the 24 hours preceding donations, as well as to bring a photo ID to the blood drive.
For more information, visit www.dcmh.net and click on the blood drive banner on the homepage or call 812-663-1228.