JUNEAU, Alaska – The Armed Services Blood Program is conducting a blood drive open to the public in Juneau next week in conjunction with the Seventeenth Coast Guard District’s Annual Buoy Tender Roundup at Centennial Hall from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
The Armed Services Blood Program directly supports sick and injured military members and their families. The program processes donated blood and provides it to local military hospitals, overseas hospitals and ships, combat support hospitals and medics on the front lines.
Last year the Seventeenth Coast Guard District hosted their first military blood drive where 405 people donated blood and 377 units of blood were collected.
Most healthy adults can donate to the program. To ensure the safety of donors and recipients, donors may be temporarily deferred from donating for reasons such as a recent piercing or tattoo, certain medical conditions, taking certain medications, or not feeling well.
The average adult has about 10 to 12 pints of blood in his or her body and approximately one pint is given during a donation. The actual blood donation typically takes less than 12 minutes. The entire process, from the time the donor arrives to the time the donor leaves, takes about an hour. A healthy donor may donate blood every 56 days. All blood types are accepted and each unit donated can save up to three lives.
