The American Red Cross issued a national call for blood donors early last month, urging people to donate as soon as possible.

The country is facing a critical drop in blood supply, and the many blood drives popping up around campus reflect the need for more blood donations.

“As medical technology advances and people continue to live longer, the need for blood also increases,” said April Phillips, communications specialist for the American Red Cross. “It’s expected that the vast majority of Americans will require blood at some point during their lifetimes.”

Last year more than 180,000 Georgians gave blood, resulting in more than 349,000 units of blood and platelets. About 3.7 million people gave blood through the Red Cross last year, according to Phillips.

She said during any given week, the Southern Blood Services Region of the Red Cross has between 35 and 45 blood drives per day, in addition to the 14 blood donation centers throughout Georgia – including centers in Athens and Gainesville.

“Once blood is donated, it is sent to the American Red Cross Southeast Division Blood Processing Center in Douglasville, to be tested, separated into the various components, processed and distributed to one of the more than 120 hospitals that we serve,” Phillips said. “Once the blood arrives at the hospital, it is stored in their blood bank until it is needed by a patient.”

Phillips said most of the blood collected in the state goes to local hospitals. The Southern Blood Services Region needs about 1,200 people to give blood each weekday to meet the needs of the patients in local hospitals, she said.

“But, this goal is seldom achieved,” Phillips said. “Which means we must import about 15,000 to 16,000 units of red blood cells each year from other regions.”

Colleges play a larger role in the U.S. blood supply than many people realize, as more than 20 percent of the blood collected by the Red Cross – which provides more than 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply – each year comes from high school and college-age donors.

“Summer always seems harder – people who normally donate are on vacation. College students in particular make up a large portion of those who donate. If they are gone on vacation or have returned home, there’s that many less people donating” said Shannon Pint, a technical specialist in the blood bank at a major hospital in Atlanta. “It’s the worst in the summer and holidays, and this has a lot to do with students not being able to donate.”

University students who have donated blood before say it’s a positive experience, citing helping others as a reason to donate.

“There are not many things that I walk away from that give me the same feeling as the one I get from donating blood. I don’t mean the lightheadedness, but the feeling of doing something to change someone’s bad situation. I almost feel like it’s my job to give since I am able to,” said Shital Lad, a junior from Kennesaw who regularly donates blood. “What if one day, it is your family member that gets into an accident and needs the blood? It’s better to act now than to have regrets later.”

Phillips said most healthy people who are at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds are eligible to give blood. However, there are instances when a seemingly healthy person is not able to donate.

Those who have spent time abroad may be ineligible, especially if they spent a total time that adds up to five years or more in most countries or a combination of countries in Western or Eastern Europe. Other exclusions include getting a tattoo or having a blood transfusion within the past year.

Several blood drives will be held throughout the month, located on various parts of campus. On Sept. 14 there will be two drives on campus: one at the College of Pharmacy from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and another at East Campus Village from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.