Almost every winter, I get a press release from the Red Cross warning of dwindling blood supplies. Spokeswoman Jecoliah Ellis said they are doing OK at the moment.
"The American Red Cross is meeting the needs of patients right now," she said. "We have a sufficient blood supply."
Red blood cells have a shelf life of 42 days, she said, so the supply needs to be continually replenished.
"Events like this attract first-time donors because there's an awareness leading up to the event," Ellis said." The hope is they'll come back."
Ellis said fewer than 5 percent of eligible donors give blood.
"A common reason people don't give blood is they've never been asked," she said. "Consider yourselves asked, Rutland."
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