BIRCH RUN, MI: On Friday, February 10 Michigan Community Blood Centers will open a new Community Donor Center at St. Mary’s of Michigan Birch Run Health Center, 9900 E. Birch Run Road, in Birch Run.

Blood donors will be welcome to donate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and may call 989-497-1036 for an appointment (preferred) or information. Following the February 10 kick-off date, the Community Donor Center will be open for blood donations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. one day each month throughout 2006, on the following dates: March 9, April 1, May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11, September 8, October 13, November 10, and December 8.

Any healthy person 17 or older who weighs 110 pounds or more may be eligible to give blood every 56 days. Donating a pint of blood takes just 7-10 minutes; the entire process (including registration, health screening, blood donation, and snack/rest period afterward) takes 45-60 minutes.

“We hope this new Birch Run donor center will provide a convenient option for people in the southeastern Saginaw County area,” said Gail Manntz, who heads donor recruitment for Michigan Community Blood Centers in this region. “We also continue to sponsor mobile blood drives at various sites in this region, but a permanent donation site is a nice alternative for people who prefer a regular routine of donating at a specific place and time. We also hope to attract more donors to give on a regular basis, because that’s what we need to keep pace as our local hospitals’ need for blood continues to increase.”

Michigan Community Blood Centers is the independent nonprofit blood bank that provides 100 percent of the regular blood supply for hospitals in Saginaw, Bay, and Midland counties. Statewide, Michigan Community Blood Centers supplies hospitals in four major regions with a combined population of more than 1. 5 million.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers