RUTLAND, Vt. -
Another big blood drive is set for July.
Organizers of the Rutland-area Gift of Life Marathon have scheduled a mini version for the summer. They say summer is a slow time for blood donations as school is out and many people take vacations. They hope to bring in 450 pints and reach a new demographic. This will be the first Gift of Life Marathon where people 16 and older can donate, with parents' permission.
"Any first-time donor we would encourage to come out and give it a try whether they are 16 or 60. Once people try it they usually learn it's not that big of a deal. It's not a difficult thing. It's painless, virtually. And once people try it once they tend to come back over and over," said Steve Costello, an organizer of the Gift of Life Marathon.
The event will be July 17 at the Paramount Theater. You can sign up by calling 1-800-Red-Cross.
