Give the Gift of Life and Donate Blood.

The American Red Cross blood drive will be hosted by the City of Mission Viejo and AYSO Region 84 on Monday, November 21, 2016 from Noon to 6 pm in City Hall’s Saddleback Room at 200 Civic Center Dr., MV, 92692.

There is a serious need for all blood types. To donate blood you will have to present ID. The complete process from the time you arrive to the time you leave, will take about an hour and 15 minutes. Each donor is given a mini-physical: checking temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood. The actual blood donation takes about 10-12 minutes. Afterwards, light snacks are available.

“Each donation helps to save up to three lives, so it is very important to support blood drives,” Trish Kelley, recently, elected city council woman said who started the drive years ago. According to the American Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood

every two seconds.

For your convenience and to save time, you can access RapidPass, a new tool to complete the process. Donors can read the pre-donation form, answer the Health History questionnaire and other questions prior to arrival.

Please go to www.redcrossblood.org/rapidpas... to complete this process. Don’t forget to schedule an appointment.

It isn’t necessary to have an appointment, but you can schedule an appointment, by calling 1-800-733-2767 (1-800-RedCross) or online at www.RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code: COMV.

You can also contact Paul Catsimanes at pcatsimanes@cityofmissionviejo.org.