Since World War II and the days of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, March has been proclaimed American Red Cross Month by U.S. presidents.

This year’s proclamation signed by President Barack Obama, noted how the Red Cross provides vital assistance by organizing blood drives, teaching health and safety programs and supporting the nation’s men and women in uniform.

Locally, the Red Cross is the sole provider of blood and blood products to Sequoyah Memorial Hospital in Sallisaw. April 28 is the date for the next Sequoyah Memorial Hospital blood drive.

Each year the Red Cross collects about 6.5 million units of blood, from roughly 4.5 million volunteer blood donors. From these donations, the Red Cross distributes around 9.5 million blood products to patients in about 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country.

Individuals 17 years of age and older, weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health, may be eligible to donate blood. The entire process — from check-in to refreshment time in the canteen after donation — normally takes about an hour’s time.

Anyone interested in booking a drive for a business, church or other organization or needs additional information, call Keri Gray at (918) 760-8128.