April 12th is your chance to give.  Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital and The American Red Cross will team up for their second blood drive of the year on April12, 2007. The blood drive will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the HMNMH/COC Education Center in the hospital’s Pavilion, located at 23845 McBean Parkway in Valencia. Juice and cookies will be served to donors.

According to Alex Pardo, account manager for The American Red Cross, the need for blood is year-round. “The need for blood is urgent and is always there,” he said. “Blood is not manufactured – it’s a gift of life that a donor decides to give. We are dependent on donations.”

The goal for the April 12 blood drive is 90 donors, or a total of 65 units of blood, which will be earmarked for priority use by Henry Mayo if blood is needed in our community. “Some are under the misconception that one person’s need is equal to one pint of blood. That’s not the case – for example, accident victims can require up to 100 units or blood; cancer treatment can require between 2-4 units per treatment. You never know when you’ll have someone who needs it,” Pardo said.