Blood drive scheduled for Jan. 21 in Cathlamet

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive January 21, 1-6 p.m., at Hotel Cathlamet, and volunteers are invited to donate.

Any healthy person age 18 (age 16 or 17 with signed parental consent) and weighing at least 110 pounds may be eligible to donate blood. Valid identification is required for all blood donations. For more information call 1-800 RED Cross or visit http://www.redcrossblood.org; sponsor code: Wahkiakum, or call Patti Phillips at 360-795-8821.

Blood products are routinely transfused to patients with cancer and other diseases, premature babies, organ transplant recipients, and accident and trauma victims. Volunteer blood donors are the primary source of blood used for transfusions, and the blood must be there before it is needed in order to help save lives.

Many people assume that other people will donate and blood will always be there when it is needed. Unfortunately, less than 38 percent of the American population is eligible to give blood, and only a fraction of those people actually do.