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Summer means less blood for Red Cross Collection falls off here and across U.S. By KELLY STEWART The American Red Cross is asking local residents not to take a vacation from donating blood. The Red Cross announced a "yellow alert" on the nation's blood supply Sunday, meaning that 16 to 30 percent of orders for blood cannot be filled. At least 900 units of blood need to be donated every day in the Northwest region to keep up with the need for blood transfusions, said Francesca Clifford, public affairs specialist for the Pacific Northwest Regional Blood Services Center in Portland. But because of the yellow alert, donors need to give at least 1,030 units each day to make sure everyone who needs blood receives it. Blood collection has been down 10 percent for nearly a month in the Rogue Valley, said Judith Stevens, customer service representative for the Rogue Valley chapter of the Red Cross. Stevens cited the recreation and vacations of summer as the culprit for the blood shortage. Even people who make appointments have a higher rate of missing their blood donation times. "People are distracted," Stevens said. During the school year, donations are steady in part because local high schools and colleges sponsor blood drives that draw teachers and students. About 10 percent of annual blood donations come from school blood drives, Clifford said. But during the summer, there's a greater need for blood donors. Because of the higher amount of car travel, more traffic accidents occur. And more people are having surgeries in the Portland area, Stevens said. "There will be elective surgeries that may have to be postponed," she said. Rogue Valley Medical Center and Providence Medford Medical Center are not feeling the effects of the shortage right now, but technicians are aware of the yellow alert. "We haven't had to switch our surgery schedules around yet," said Andy Peplinski, medical technologist at the RVMC laboratory. Nationwide, blood donations are dropping so low that health officials are predicting serious, nationwide shortages as early as next year. Blood banks have been offering donors incentives to donate, such as giving them free T-shirts or time off work. The government is so concerned that Surgeon General David Satcher has a committee hunting ways to get more people to donate blood more often. The local Red Cross does not offer special incentives except for the "good treats and smiling faces" of the staff when people choose to donate, Stevens said. "The only thing we can do is try to increase our hours," she said. Only 5 percent of the eligible population keeps the community blood supply afloat, Stevens said. Repeat donors are a large part of the Red Cross' business. The Red Cross is holding a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the Ashland armory. No appointments are needed. The Rogue Valley Red Cross, located on Hawthorne Street in Medford, is open Monday afternoons and Tuesday mornings for donations. The donor information line (773-3813) is available 24 hours a day. To donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old, 105 pounds and in good health. There is no age limit for donors. "We have people in their 80s giving blood," Stevens said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA