Donate blood at Heartland, be entered in raffle

Donate blood at any Heartland Blood Centers blood drive or center location between now and Jan. 6, and you will automatically be entered in a raffle to win a flat screen TV. One lucky winner will be chosen each day. A total of 15 TVs will be raffled during this time period. Winners will receive a $1,000 gift card toward the purchase of a flat screen TV or item of their choice. Heartland Blood Centers will be closed Jan. 1.

For a complete listing of Heartland centers and blood drives in your area, and hours of operation call (800) 7TO-GIVE or visit heartlandbc.org. Some center hours may vary due to the holiday. Visit Heartland's Web site for a complete list of terms and conditions on the TV raffle promotion.

Heartland Blood Centers, a nonprofit medical organization serving 35 hospitals in a 12-county region in Illinois and Indiana, urges all area residents to donate the "gift of life" this holiday season.

"During this promotion, our hope is to have enough blood donors around the holidays to help us maintain an adequate blood supply for our hospitals" said Anna McKanna, vice president of marketing and new business development. "We must remember there are patients receiving blood transfusions during the holidays; their illnesses do not go away during this time. We recently received a call from someone who has a family member with leukemia who is receiving blood products every other day. They want to help us out with a blood drive. These are the types of calls we receive that put things into perspective around the holidays."

The donation process takes about an hour from start to finish and includes registration, a health history survey, blood pressure and an iron level check. The blood draw itself is approximately seven to nine minutes. Patients who benefit from blood transfusions range from newborns, to teens battling cancer, to trauma victims. There are 4.5 million American lives saved each year by blood transfusions.

You do not need to know your blood type to be a blood donor. First-time blood donors will find out their blood type as early as the next day by calling Heartland.

While Heartland is reporting an adequate blood supply at this time, the blood inventory fluctuates on a daily basis. Donors with all blood types are encouraged to ask Heartland staff if they qualify for automated donation procedures, where the blood is separated at the time of donation.

To be a blood donor, individuals must be at least 17 years old or 16 with written parental permission; weigh at least 110 pounds; be symptom free of cold, flu and allergies; and be in general good health. Donors who have traveled outside the U.S. within the past 12 months should call Heartland at (800) 7TO-GIVE to determine eligibility.