Edmunds County Tribune -

Did you know that only five percent of the population donates blood to meet 100% of patient blood needs?

The next opportunity to give locally will be Thursday, Aug. 22 at Father Bormann Hall in Ipswich from 12 to 3:45 p.m. The Ipswich Lions are sponsoring the drive. Contact Larry Stafford, 605-216-7354 to make an appointment or call Vitalant at 877-258-4825 for more information.

Misconceptions are a big reason why more people don’t donate blood but new donors are always in high demand.

“It’s surprising to hear the reasons why many people think they can’t donate, and most often it’s due to outdated or misunderstood information,” said senior donor recruitment representative, Katie Bartelson. “We encourage anyone who thinks they can’t donate blood to give us a call and find out more. With every donation we can save up to three lives. Think of the impact we can have if more people were willing and able to give.”

While much more goes into qualifying a donor to safely give blood, there are many common instances when people assume they can’t give blood but generally is not disqualifying. Some of these include taking medication including blood pressure, cholesterol, or anti-depressants, traveling outside the U.S., getting a tattoo or piercing, or having a history of cancer.

Potential donors are encouraged to call Vitalant to find out if they are eligible to donate blood.

To save time, donors can now fill out their Health History Questionnaire online at www.vitalant.org the day of their donation. To donate blood, volunteers must be at least 16 years old (16 year old donors need a minor donor permit which is available at the blood drive or online) and be in good health.