Fairgrounds hosting several blood drives

To replenish the blood supply at area hospitals, the Orange County

Fairgrounds has teamed with Southern California hospitals to offer blood

drives each weekend until June 30 during the Orange County Market Place

that runs every Saturday and Sunday.

Different hospitals throughout the region have been scheduled each

weekend at the Market Place until June 30 through the St. Joseph Hospital

Blood Donor Program to seek blood donations and provide education about

blood needs in the community.

Donors can come on a specific date to donate to their community

hospital, but they are not required to be part of a particular community

to donate blood. A person can donate blood every 56 days.

Those in need of blood everyday include newborn babies, leukemia and

cancer patients and open-heart surgery patients. One donation can save up

to four lives.

During a trial run in December, representative from St. Joseph

Hospital in Orange collected 48 units of blood, enough to save 192 lives.

The mobile blood drive is stationed in front of the main entrance gate

to the Market Place and does not require swap meet admission.

Each blood donor receives two admission passes to the swap meet and a

T-shirt.

Blood drives are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Call (714) 771-8000, Ext. 4801, for more information on the blood donor

program.