About 450 people donated during the seventh annual Halloween blood drive Monday at LaMalfa Centre.

More importantly, the American Red Cross collected enough blood to help more than 1,200 patients.

The donated blood is given to people in car crashes, burn victims, surgery patients, organ transplant recipients, premature babies, cancer and sickle cell patients, as well as others.

Blood supplies constantly need to be replenished, because blood is perishable and has no substitute. Platelets and red blood cells only have a shelf life of five and 42 days, respectively, according to the American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross needs 900 units of blood every day to replenish local hospitals' supplies, so each donation matters.