A community blood drive will take place on Wednesday, August 21 in the Greys River Room at Star Valley Health. Blood donors are welcome from noon to 5:45 p.m.

“The hospital isn’t sponsoring the blood drive but with the blood being in short supply we are doing what we can to help,” said Misty McIntire, a customer service representative at Star Valley Health.

The blood drive is under the director of Vitalant, one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit community blood service providers. Vitalant supplies “comprehensive transfusion medicine services to nearly 1,000 hospitals and health care partners for patients in need across 40 states.”

According to information provided by Vitalant, people under 40 aren’t donating like generations before them.

“When you donate blood, it doesn’t just help people during disasters,” the Vitalant website states. “From surgery to fighting cancer to giving birth, blood donations are used to save around 12,000 lives a day. A lot of the medical care we take for granted wouldn’t exist without blood donations.”

To make an appointment for the August 21 event at Star Valley Health, visit vitalant.org and use the sponsor code Afton; or, call 1 (800) 456-7057.

All blood donors will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a new ATV.