Upcoming blood drives in April

NEWTON — New Jersey Blood Services has announced three upcoming blood drives in April. On April 10, a blood drive will be held at Sussex County Community College (SCCC) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The following day, on April 11, another blood drive will be held at the college from 1-7 p.m. SCCC is located at 1 College Hill Rd. in Newton. On April 13 a blood drive will be held the Willowglen Academy, 8 Wilson Drive in Sparta, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. New Jersey Blood Services (NJBS), a division of the New York Blood Center (NYBC), is calling upon people in the communities it serves to schedule an appointment to donate blood, or to consider sponsoring a drive. The need for blood is constant due to its 42-day shelf life, and the only place to get blood is from volunteer donors. Type O negative, which is found in just 6 percent of the population, is used more often by patients with other blood types, especially in emergency rooms and trauma situations. Qualified donors in generally good health should be 17 years of age, or 16 with parental permission, weigh at least 110 pounds, and present photo or signed ID. Donors over 75 years of age can also keep donating with a note from their physician. Nationwide, 60 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood, yet only 2 percent actually give. Every day in the U.S. approximately 39,000 units of blood are required in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities to treat patients with cancer and other diseases, to support organ transplant recipients and accident and trauma victims. To make an appointment to donate blood, or for information regarding medical eligibility, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org.