Local 6, Solar Bears, One Blood Inc. host blood drive

ORLANDO, Fla. – On Tuesday, January 7, WKMG-TV Local 6, the Orlando Solar Bears and One Blood Inc. will partner in a blood drive.

January is National Volunteer Blood Donor Month, and with good reason.  Above all other times of the year, it's the month that presents the most challenges in recruiting people to give blood, officials say.

The blood drive will be held at the WKMG studios at 4466 N. John Young Parkway from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All donors will receive:

• One free movie ticket voucher.
• Registration to win a loge box for 6 people for a Solar Bears game at the Amway Center and a meet and greet with the players after the game.
• Free wellness checkup, including blood pressure, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening.  
  

 For more information or to register please call 888-9-DONATE (888-936-6283)

(All blood donors must have photo ID.  Donors must be at least 16 years old. Those who are 16 years old need parental permission. See www.oneblood.org  for more details.)

Blood Donation Facts

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
  
• More than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• Donating blood is a safe process. A sterile needle is used only once for each donor and then discarded.
  
• Blood donation is a simple four-step process: registration, medical history and mini-physical, donation and refreshments.
• Every blood donor is given a mini-physical, checking the donor's temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood.
• The actual blood donation typically takes less than 12 minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time you leave, takes about an hour and 15 minutes.
  
• The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in his body. Roughly 1 pint is given during a donation.
  
• A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days, or double red cells every 112 days.
  
• A healthy donor may donate platelets as few as 7 days apart, but a maximum of 24 times a year.
  
• All donated blood is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases before it can be released to hospitals.