The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to end the year with real meaning by donating blood for hospital patients in need.
Holiday activities, severe weather and seasonal illnesses, like the flu, can pull people away from their regular blood donation schedules. This creates a greater need for blood donations this time of year, especially around the winter holidays. To encourage donations, all those who come to donate Dec. 23, 2015, through Jan. 3, 2016, will get a long-sleeve Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.