URGENT...FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA BLOOD DRIVE

Each donor will receive a $10 Target gift card and a raffle for two $15 Starbucks cards will be held. I am really hoping that we can at least meet and hopefully surpass the goal of 21 pints.

Blood donations through the American Red Cross are at the lowest they have been in 15 years. With summer storms forcing the cancellation of dozens of blood drives and extreme heat keeping many donors at home, there is an emergency need to boost the blood supply.

IF YOU CAN'T DO IT PLEASE PASS THIS ON. WE NEED 21 PINTS AND THERE ARE ONLY 7 SIGNED UP AS OF TODAY.

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. As the nation's largest supplier of blood and blood products, the Red Cross is dedicated to ensuring that every patient who needs a lifesaving transfusion is able to receive one. In fact, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 pints of blood each day to meet the needs of patients at more than 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. If at least two extra donors gave blood at every Red Cross drive through the rest of July, above what the drives expect to collect, there would be enough blood on the shelves to meet patient needs.

All blood types are needed to ensure an adequate blood supply and eligible donors are asked to give blood now! Donors with type O negative, O positive, A negative or B negative are especially encouraged to give this summer.

To make an appointment to give blood or for more information, please call FAAR at 540 373-7711 or Bob Mercurio at 540 903-9327.