Save a Life, Donate Blood

January is National Blood Donor Month

Be a part of the campaign to spread awareness for the need for blood.

January is National Blood Donor Month, an opportunity for us all to recognize the selflessness of America’s blood donors. This month was first proclaimed by President Richard Nixon in January of 1970 as a way to pay tribute to voluntary blood donors while encouraging more people to give.   

Did you know that every two seconds in America, someone needs blood?  

More than 7 million people give blood in America each year. This selfless generosity is a lifeline for so many people.  

One in seven patients entering a hospital require the availability of blood. This ranges from trauma victims to patients battling sickle cell disease or Thalassemia or ensure a successful organ or bone marrow transplant. Cancer patients use 25 percent of all blood donations and blood transfusions are needed in one out of every 83 newborn deliveries in America today, a rate that has increased by more than 50 percent between 2006 and 2015

As important as blood is to so many of us, just three percent of all Americans donate blood today. That’s despite the fact that 65 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to do. Less than 20 percent of all blood donations each year come from individuals in communities of color and donations from individuals 19 and under have dropped nearly 50 percent over the last two years alone. Older Americans are among the most frequent donors. This reality has created an urgent need for younger, more diverse donors.  

That’s why it’s so important to celebrate National Blood Donor Month this January. This month is our chance to spread awareness about the need for more blood donors while taking time to celebrate those who already donate and help save lives. 

A lot may have changed over the last five decades, but the need for blood – and the selflessness of those who answer the call to give it – has remained constant. We thank all those who regularly donate blood. Their decision to give generously today helps save lives and gives more people their tomorrow.  

 We want to thank all the donors who make this lifesaving difference possible.  

Find a blood center at www.AmericasBlood.org.