Blood donors can win a trip

The American Red Cross is reviving its “Live Life, Give Life” promotion, which will reward three donors with a pair of round-trip airline tickets on Delta Air Lines.

The promotion is one way to thank donors for their time, said April Phillips, a spokeswoman for the Southern blood services region of the Red Cross.

Through March 31, each person who attempts to donate blood or platelets may enter for a chance to win the tickets, she said.

According to the Red Cross Web site, the Southern blood services region falls into the organization’s Southeast Division, which is headquartered in Douglasville. It collects and distributes more than 994,062 units of blood and 116,220 units of platelets each year and serves hospitals in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Florida and Puerto Rico.

The Southern blood services region includes more than 120 hospitals in Georgia, and approximately half of the blood collected in the state comes from metro Atlanta, Phillips said.

While the economic downturn hasn’t had a significant effect on blood donation, inclement weather could severely impact donations and blood supplies, she said.

“Because we’re an import region, we have to bring in 50,000 to 60,000 units of blood from other regions each year just to meet our local needs,” Phillips said. “And every day of the year, somebody needs blood, so the need for it never stops.”