AMARILLO, TEXAS -- January is National Volunteer Blood Donor Month and it is set to raise awareness about the constant demand of blood donors.
More than 44,000 blood donations across the nation are needed daily. Blood supplies often fall to their lowest levels during the month of January.
"Not only do donations go down around the holidays because of extended travel and sometimes inclement weather, auto accidents are more frequent," said Suzanne Talley at Coffee Memorial Blood Center. "So blood usage goes up around the holidays and donations go down. It's a catch 22."
Today marked the 111th time that Dan Dowdy donated blood. "It's easy and it's a way to give back and everybody needs blood," Dowdy explained. "I just do it out of habit and commitment. It's an easy thing to do and I wish more people would do it."
Talley states that the entire process to donate blood takes about 45-minutes. That includes the registration, medical background, actual donation and then refreshments. They accept all donations, but are currently in critical need of type O negative donors.
To make a donation or find out more on blood donations, you can visit their website at thegiftoflife.org.
