Clark said several blood drives are being planned. However, more are needed.

She said Masonite Corporation of Laurel will conduct an employee blood drive on Wednesday.

Then, two public blood drives have been slated for next week. She said a blood drive at Dixie Electric Power Association has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 1st, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Then, another blood drive is scheduled for Thursday, July 2nd, at Wal-Mart Super Center in Laurel from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“The blood collected at the Dixie Electric and Wal-Mart blood drives will be the ones that carry us through the long July 4th weekend,” Clark said. “Collecting blood prior to the weekend is going to be very important.

“As we know, hospitals don’t close for the holidays,” she added. “The blood you donate now can save someone’s life during the holiday weekend.”

According to statistics, 4.5 million Americans would die each year without life-saving blood transfusions.

Clark said the “local blood drives are designed to make sure that the blood that we draw here will stay in the community.”

Anyone desiring to conduct a blood drive can call Clark at (601) 270-5051.

The United Blood Services network is one of the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit blood service organizations, and is a founding member of America’s Blood Centers.

Anyone desiring to donate blood can contact officials at the UBS office by calling (601) 264-0743 or 1-800-880-0743 or go to UBS’s Website at www.unitedbloodservices.org

Officials said the UBS also conducts blood drives at the Cameron Center on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from noon to 6 p.m.