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Health & Fitness

How to make blood donation a part of your summer fun

What to show your children what a super hero really looks like? Donate blood and save a life this Friday, June 22, 2012. The need is constant. The gratification is instant.

When school is out of session blood donation in the nation drops.  This occurs right at a critical time when the need for blood in Southeastern Michigan increases due to normal summer demands.

This Friday, June 22, 2012 from 1pm-7pm St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Downtown Rochester will be doing what they can to increase the blood supply for one day.All blood types are needed to help combat the summer shortage but donors with O negative, O positive, A negative and B negative are strongly encouraged to give soon and continue donating frequently.  A whole blood donor can donate every 56 days – one donor can save up to 6 lives this summer alone.

“We encourage everyone who can to connect with friends and family, then pick a date to donate blood and help keep the blood supply strong,” said Diane E. Ward, CEO for the Southeastern Michigan Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. “You’ll find Red Cross blood drives at churches, community centers, businesses and even at some schools with summer sessions. Perhaps there’s a drive in a town you’ve never visited, or there’s a special occasion you want to honor by hosting a drive of your own.”

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Are you wondering how you can help?  Are you wondering what to do with the kids while you take a little over an hour to donate your blood to save the life of another?  Show your children what a real superhero is.  This Friday, St. Philip’s will offer a kids table for the younger children who come to the blood drive with their parents.  There will be games and coloring activities or a quiet spot for them to sit and relax with their handheld games or a good book (perhaps from the Rochester Public Library right down the street). Your children will be encouraged by your blood donation and it will be a fantastic learning opportunity for them.  Then you can spend the time after your donation getting ice cream at Dairy Queen, across the street, or exploring the shops on Main Street.

Have older children who want to be a part of your blood donation experience?  With parental consent a 16 year old can donate blood and become a Super HERO themselves.  All they need is an ID and the Red Cross parental consent form that you can obtain online or at the blood donation site. Anyone over the age of 17 years old is eligible to donate blood if they meet the health eligibility requirements.

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Also, at St. Philip’s, this Friday, I will be starting a Hero Wall.  All donors will be given the opportunity to express their reasons for donating blood, have their photograph taken and be a part of the history of blood donations at St. Philip’s.  St. Philip’s has hosted more than 50 blood drives since 1993.  St. Philip’s donors have given over 1700 pints of blood and helped more than 5000 recipients in our community. St. Philip’s encourages community support and welcomes all donors through the doors of the blood drive.

Appointments are accepted up until Thursday evening.  Walk-ins are also welcome and the best time to walk in for a blood donation is between 3pm and 5pm. You may make an appointment online at www.redcrossblood.org using the sponsor code “stphilip”.  If you prefer to make an appointment directly you may call 248-652-8399.  If you aren’t available this Friday and you still want to donate blood thins summer you may also do a zip code search on the Red Cross website and find a location, date and time convenient for you.

Thank you for being a hero this summer.

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