I admit it. No one ever accused me of being brave.

I avoid confrontation like the plague. I don’t order spicy foods at restaurants. Any fun activity requiring my name on a release form immediately inspires heart palpitations and sweaty palms.

So, you may understand why I wrote off giving blood many, many years ago. Blaming it on a low threshold for pain or iron deficiency, I dodged many a blood drive. To stave off a guilty conscience, I rationalized my unwillingness to perform this simple deed by pointing to other acts of charity throughout my career.

I also should mention that a fear of saying “no,” also ranks high on my list. So, when a friend asked me to give blood – a regular occurrence for her – I eventually complied.

She drove us to The American Red Cross Donor Center on Atlanta Highway, where we were greeted with grateful smiles and a voucher for a Chick-fil-A sandwich.

Despite worry that accompanied my unique bravery, the process itself was a non-event. In just an hour, I felt I had done my little part to help the Athens community, and had free snacks and a fluorescent bandage to show for it.

I now regret I waited so long to start helping out in Athens.

How about you? Want to help, also? There is a special need for you to do so.

Linda Rounds, program coordinator at the Athens Red Cross Donor Center, said October is an especially crucial month for blood donation.

“We typically do well in September, but student donations drop as you head into mid-terms and then the holidays. We especially need students with B-negative blood type.”

Even if you have given blood recently, you can donate platelets at the Atlanta Highway Donor Center. Platelet donation is crucial because hospitals use them to stop bleeding.

Rounds said the biggest reason people don’t give blood is because they don’t feel they have been asked personally to do so.

As my friend asked me, I’m asking you to give blood today. Every two seconds somebody needs blood.

The Students for the American Red Cross is hosting the last day of their UGA Big Drive today from 11 a.m. to 5p.m. on the second floor of Memorial Hall, and I could think of no easier way show appreciation for good health. You can walk-in or call 678-227-4650 for donation information.

If you can’t make it, The American Red Cross Donor Center on Atlanta Highway is open Monday through Saturday. Call 706-543-8656 to schedule an appointment or online at www.givelife.org.

- Margaret Atkinson is a senior from Memphis, Tenn., majoring in newspapers