Monroe, Ga. (June 19, 2025) – Each summer, schools let out and families pack their bags to head out on vacation. With many people carefree and away enjoying vacations, the volume of blood donations tends to shrink. Yet at the same time, the need dramatically increases due to travel and recreational trauma cases, which, data shows, increase at this time of year.

To help meet the demand, Piedmont Walton Hospital is hosting two blood drives on Thursday, July 3, and on Tuesday, July 29. The drives will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Piedmont Walton Medical Office Building, located at 2151 West Spring Street, Suite 100.

These events are especially important during the summer’s “100 Deadliest Days,” which earned its name due to being the most common time for traffic related trauma cases for teenage drivers. According to the American Automobile Association, 7,316 people died in summertime crashes involving teen drivers from 2012 to 2021 nationwide. This means half of the total number of individuals killed in teen-driver crashes yearly happened just in that summer.

Piedmont Walton is partnering with the American Red Cross for this drive, and donors will receive a pair of Goodr sunglasses as a thank you for their donation.

To make an appointment, please visit redcrossblood.org or use the Red Cross Donor App and enter the sponsor code: PWALTON. Before donating, remember to eat iron rich foods, drink plenty of water and sleep well the night before. A photo ID is required to donate.