A blood drive by the American Red Cross on Wednesday, July 21, fell far short of its goal.

The monthly drive at First Presbyterian Church in Wadesboro collected only 17 units of blood. The drive's goal was 40 units, according to director of community services Mary Milam.

"It's been slow today," Everley Tipps, a phlebotomist, said. "I'd say on the whole, donations are down everywhere."

She attributed part of the drop to the season, when people are often on vacation. Regular drives at schools and colleges bolster the Red Cross during other parts of the year.

She speculated that people may be too busy or sites are short-staffed.

Milam said drives that are sponsored by someone in the community typically see a greater turnout.

One of the few donors was David Whiteside, the print shop coordinator at South Piedmont Community College.

"I try to give two or three times a year," he said. He typically comes by after work.

Drives are usually supported by regular donors, who give blood whenever there is a nearby drive and the alloted time between donations has expired.

Unfortunately, those regular donors have often not been enough. The blood drives in Wadesboro, which takes place most months at the church, have often fallen short of their routine goal of 40 pints.

The Red Cross has considered not doing drives in Anson because turnout was low.

A pint of blood can be used to save up to three lives, by separating it into three parts: the platelets, plasma and red blood cells.

The need for blood is dire and routine. A person in an automobile accident may need up to 100 pints of blood while a heart surgery might require 10 pints.

For more information about donating blood, contact the Red Cross at 704-694-3514.

Those interested in sponsoring a drive should call Milam at 704-283-7402.