I believe that we should donate what we can, and here exists a perfect opportunity to give of yourself to others, without even spending money – something your body produces naturally, blood. We are currently experiencing an emergency blood shortage. Every 2 seconds, someone needs blood, yet donors in the US are fewer than there should be. I know that giving blood may be inconvenient, but please consider donating your time and blood, which is invaluable to many patients who are in need of potentially life-saving transfusions.

Many of you reading this are my friends and in a similar age bracket to me, meaning that you are a young adult and likely to be medically healthy and eligible to donate. Many people, including myself, are currently ineligible to donate because of travel to certain regions of the world, medical conditions, having had homosexual activity in the past year (penis-penis) (a separate discussion on this ban is going on, look up proxy donations), etc. Less than 38 percent of the US population is eligible, and for this reason alone you should consider donating while you are healthy and young.

Your donation is crucial to maintaining our blood supply. You never know when you may be the one in need of blood!
Here is the link to finding a blood drive near you. https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive

Think about it: could you fit it into your schedule tomorrow? The day after? When you get back from vacation? On your day off from sports practice? After work on Monday? If you make donating blood a priority you CAN find the time to do it. It doesn’t take long, but your donation is invaluable.

My goal is to have 25 pledges to donation before Labor Day, when many of us in high school and college will be heading back to school, when our schedules will get busy. Summer is a great opportunity for you to make your generous donation.