Blood drive planned Thursday

Residents also can help make sure patients enjoy all that this carefree season has to offer by adding one more exciting adventure to the summer to-do list: Be charitable and give blood.

There’s still time to schedule donation from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Mary Bethune Community Blood Center in Halifax.

Donors can sign-up through the blood donor app, by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or by going to www.redcrossblood.org and searching 24558.

RapidPass allows donors to start the blood donation process from the comfort of a home or office on the day of the drive, answering the health history questions before arriving at the blood drive location.

This saves donors 15-20 minutes. RapidPass can be found at www.redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.

“Remember to eat a good breakfast or lunch, drink plenty of water and bring a form of picture ID with you to the drive,” Ginger Weaver, of the local American Red Cross, said.

To encourage people to donate before May 31, donors will also automatically be entered to win a trip for two to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle. This getaway includes two tickets to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, thanks to the support of Fanatics, round-trip airfare to Seattle, four-night hotel accommodations, and a $750 gift card for expenses.