Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I—Pulaski) will host his annual American Red Cross blood drive on Friday, May 12 at the Oswego Elks Lodge, on 132 West 5th Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Donating blood is an important and easy service people can provide to their community. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Currently, there is an urgent need for blood, especially those who have Type O blood.

All presenting donors on Friday, May 12 will receive one box of Girl Scout cookies while supplies last.

Anyone is welcome to donate. To schedule an appointment for the blood drive, contact Assemblyman Will Barclay’s office at 315-598-5185 or visit the American Red Cross Web site. It takes about 8-10 minutes to give blood with a total time to register and replenish with provided snacks of about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Donors are encouraged to eat well and hydrate prior to appointment.

According to the Red Cross:

• Only 38% of the U.S. population is able to donate blood.
• Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• More than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
• More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.