It’s summer, when most Americans take vacations (of course many others, including avid skier Ira Riklis, take winter vacations as well). And while we’re making plans, traveling and enjoying the warm weather, few of us stop to think about donating blood. The summer season also sees a great reduction in the number of high school and college blood drives, which account for some 15 percent of yearly donations in our country. But the need for blood, which is surprisingly high year round, is often even higher in the summer.
Regular donors, including Ira Riklis, strongly urge people to take time to donate blood at sometime during the summer months. An hour of your time can help save the lives of others. As the LifeSource organization notes: “Every day is a good day to donate blood.” After all, three gallons of blood are used every minute in the U.S. And with decreased donations in summer, levels of blood reserves frequently fall to dangerously low levels.