DRIVE PLANNED TO REPLENISH BLOOD SUPPLIES.Byline: Daily News The American Red Cross American Red Cross: see Red Cross. is holding an emergency blood drive this weekend because supplies are at critically low levels in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , officials said. Marc Jackson Marc Anthony Jackson (born January 16 1975 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American professional basketball player currently with Olympiacos BC in Greece. After a career at Temple University, he was drafted in the second round (37th overall) of the 1997 NBA Draft by the Golden , a spokesman for the Red Cross, said there is often a shortage of blood in the summer vacation Summer vacation (also called summer holidays or summer break) is a vacation in the summertime between school years in which students are off for 3 months, depending on the country and district. months, but this year is particularly bad. ``This year, it's happening earlier than usual. That's why we're so concerned, especially because of the Fourth of July Fourth of July, Independence Day, or July Fourth, U.S. holiday, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Celebration of it began during the American Revolution. weekend,'' he said. ``During three-day weekends, blood donations generally plummet.'' He said the demand for blood goes up in the summer holiday periods because people are more active, there are more accidents requiring blood transfusions, and fewer people donate because they are busy doing other things. Blood donor supplies of O-positive are at 17 percent of desired levels, officials said. Levels of O-negative blood are at 12 percent. Levels of B-positive are at 30 percent and B-negative blood is at 20 percent of desired inventory, officials said. ``This weekend is a critical time to ensure a stable blood supply for the upcoming holiday weekend,'' said Rich Krieg, acting chief executive officer of the Southern California chapter of the Red Cross. ``There is a special need for group O blood, since nearly one-half the population has this blood type, and O blood is also the `universal' donor blood often used in emergencies,'' he said. To give blood, people must be 17 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health and not at risk for HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. . To donate blood or find the nearest donor center, call (800) GIVE-LIFE. |
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