A Gift from the Heart

Christmas is only a month away, and the Harvard College Red Cross wants you start out the season of giving by donating blood this week at its December blood drive.

The drive will take place at Northwest Labs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. You can sign up to donate or volunteer here. As an added bonus, all donors will receive a Chutney’s coupon.

To encourage you to donate, here are five facts about donating blood that you may not have known:

1.  One pint of blood, the size of a standard donation, can save up to three lives.

2.  The American Red Cross reports that someone needs a blood transfusion every two seconds—that means 38,000 donors are needed every single day.

3.  According to the Mayo Clinic, blood is in higher demand during the summer and holidays. People travel more frequently during these times, putting them at greater risk for accidents.

4.  At least 25 percent of Americans will need a blood transfusion at some point in their lives, the Mayo Clinic estimates.

5.  According to the American Red Cross, “If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save over 1,000 lives!”

Photo by Audrey I. Anderson/The Harvard Crimson