Bluffton residents are encouraged to donate blood Saturday, Sept. 25, from 7 to 11 a.m. at Bluffton Family Recreation.

"Blood and platelets from volunteer donors can be vital to the care and treatment of people with cancer," said Sharyn Whitman, CEO for the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. "You can make such a difference to someone very sick through the simple act of rolling up your sleeve."

Every day, cancer patients may depend on blood being there for emergency or ongoing care. Leukemia and other cancers can cause anemia and internal bleeding, chemotherapies and radiation can lower blood counts, and cancer-related surgeries can result in blood loss.

Transfusions of red blood cells and platelets can literally keep a patient from bleeding to death, or dramatically improve the quality of their life.Just under 1 million people in the United States are living with or in remission from a form of blood cancer, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And every four minutes, one person in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer.

With September being National Blood Cancer Awareness Month, donors are encouraged to make and keep appointments to give blood or platelets. The American Red Cross provides blood donation opportunities through donor centers, as well as through sponsored-organized drives at businesses, churches, civic and community organizations, places of worship, schools and colleges. How to Donate Blood

To schedule an appointment to donate please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org for more information. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.

Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate.About the American Red Cross

The Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region serves northern and central Indiana and northwestern Ohio and needs to collect about 500 units of blood a day to meet patient need in more than 60 hospitals. In addition to supplying nearly half of the nation's blood, the American Red Cross teaches lifesaving skills, provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.

The Red Cross is a charitable organization-not a government agency-and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.