Community Corner

Red Cross Holding Blood Drive Today at Mentor Civic Ice Arena

The American Red Cross will be collecting blood from noon to 6:30 p.m. today at Mentor Civic Ice Arena

The American Red Cross will be collecting blood from noon to 6:30 p.m. today in the community room at .

The Red Cross especially needs donors right now because a messy winter dropped .

In January, snow caused 25 blood drives to be cancelled in Ohio alone and more than 14,000 across the country.

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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.

Find out what's happening in Mentorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

People who are 17 and older  – or 16 with their parents' permission  – who weigh at least 110 pounds may be eligible to donate blood. Donors must bring identification to blood drives.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the location of the blood drive as city hall.


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