Miranda Pederson/Daily News The Bowling Green Community Donorama Blood Drive was held at the Sloan Convention Center last year.

Michelle Mangum wants everyone to think about the gift of life this Christmas.

“Everybody’s thinking about the perfect gift regarding family and friends. This can be the perfect gift for someone in the hospital needing the gift to stay alive and be with their family and friends,” said Mangum, donor recruitment representative for the American Red Cross Tennessee Valley Region. “When you donate blood, you give the perfect gift.”

People will have a chance to give that gift at the American Red Cross Bowling Green Donorama community blood drive, which will be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Greenwood High School.

Mangum suggests that people make appointments to give blood by visiting www.redcrossblood.org.

“It’s not necessary, but we encourage it, especially if you’re coming on your lunch break,” she said.

Those who donate blood will receive a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt while supplies last. Anna’s Greek Restaurant will provide lunch at noon. The Air Evac Lifeteam will also have an information table at the event.

“We’re hoping this year that the helicopter will be able to fly in at noon,” Mangum said. “Last year they weren’t able to. They received a call they had to go to.”

The Red Cross Tennessee Valley Region has to collect 600 pints of blood daily to meet the area’s needs, Mangum said.

The branch covers 72 counties and supplies 65 hospitals.

“Donations slow down at this time of year. Everybody’s thinking about being with family and friends and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season,” she said. “A lot of times we don’t think about the people in the hospital who need the blood. The need is always constant.”

Air Evac Lifeteam membership sales manager Ronda Birchell has seen how donated blood can save lives not only as someone who works for a company that provides air medical transport, but also as a parent of someone who needed it. Her son, Cody, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, a type of blood cancer, when he was 12 years old. Multiple blood transfusions were just one way he fought the disease before it took his life nearly 10 years ago when he was 15.

“I didn’t realize until my son was sick the need for donating blood,” she said.

There were times that the hospital was so low on blood that Birchell had to call in family and friends to donate for Cody, she said. The slowness of donations at this time of year means more people should consider doing it.

“We need people who have never thought about it before to step up a little bit and donate,” she said.

People are sometimes hesitant to donate for various reasons, such as being afraid that it will hurt, Mangum said.

“If you have your ears pierced or a tattoo, a blood donation doesn’t hurt compared to those two things,” she said. “If you’re afraid, bring a friend, someone who can stand by you and talk to you during the process.”

After blood is collected, it goes to the Red Cross lab, where it is tested for two days for anything that could make a patient sick, such as HIV, Mangum said.

“From that point, we ship it to the hospitals,” she said. “It goes through another day of testing with them. From there, it goes to the patient.”

Those who plan to donate blood should drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, stay away from caffeinated drinks and eat a well-balanced meal beforehand, Mangum said.

“We’ll have juices for everybody,” she said. “After your donation, you can grab yourself a cookie.”

The goal for the Donorama is to collect 150 pints of blood, which is the amount collected at last year’s event, Mangum said.

“That’s what we want to collect and exceed this year,” he said. “To do that, we need to see 200 people. Give a patient another hug, another laugh, another chance.”