ATLANTA — For most people, the summer means weeks of fun and travel. For the American Red Cross and thousands of hospital patients, however, this is a time of high anxiety. The summer traditionally means decreased blood donations, which result in a shortage of the blood types hospitals urgently need to treat trauma victims and other patients.

It takes up to three days for blood to be processed and made available to hospitals, so it is important that a donation be made ahead of an emergency.

The American Red Cross Southern Blood Services Region, which supplies blood to more than 130 hospitals, needs 1,200 blood donors each weekday in order to meet the blood needs of area patients.

Blood donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh no less than 110 pounds. Please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.redcrossblood.org to make an appointment to donate blood.