BLOOD DRIVE HOSTS — Steubenville High School Principal Aaron Newman, left, and Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of the Sycamore Youth Center, have teamed up for a community blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 12 at the school. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — Summer is beginning to wind down. Soon, the warmest season of the year will come to a close. Schools will reopen in the coming weeks and people will get back into their normal routines. Society has been busy these last three months — busy going on vacation, busy visiting amusement parks, camping, barbecuing, boating. There has little time for anything else … especially making a blood donation.

During the summer, contributions significantly drop. As a result, the American Red Cross is seeking donors who have Type O positive, O negative and B negative blood, as they are in high demand from patients.

Officials at the Sycamore Youth Center have teamed up with those at Steubenville High School to host a community blood drive that could potentially save dozens of lives.

According to Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of Sycamore, the event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 12 in the high school gymnasium, located at 420 N. Fourth St.

Donors can schedule their appointment by visiting RedCrossBlood.org and entering the code “Sycamore.” Appointments also can be made by calling (800) RED CROSS or through the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

“Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood,” stated Sharon Kesselring, Red Cross area representative. “There are 768 hours between Aug. 1 and Labor Day — just one of those hours can make the difference between life and death for someone in need.”

Donors who give by Aug. 28 will receive a $15 e-gift card. Successful donors can get free A1C diabetes testing, officials added.

“We’re honored to partner with the Red Cross to offer this life-saving opportunity to our community,” Bauman said. “This is more than just a blood drive — it’s a way to live out our mission of serving others and meeting real needs in our city.”

Steubenville High School Principal Aaron Newman echoed Bauman’s sentiment, saying, “Hosting this event is an incredible opportunity for our students, staff and families to give back. We hope to see the gym full of donors coming together for a great cause.”

The blood drive is part of Sycamore Youth Center’s broader efforts to make a positive impact in the Ohio Valley through education, service and community partnerships. For information or to sign up, visit redcrossblood.org and enter the code “Sycamore.”