On Thursday, July 19, we're hoping you'll step up, roll up a sleeve and give blood or platelets when The Record hosts a blood drive from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Rebecca Eppelmann, who many of you may know as the editor of our former weeklies, Latham Life and River Life, has taken on a new assignment as community engagement editor for The Record and our sister newspaper to the north, The Saratogian.

While she has been involved with many of The Record's recent community efforts, Rebecca has taken the lead in organizing this effort to help the Red Cross, which reports its blood supply has reached emergency levels. Red Cross officials say they suspect this year's unseasonably early start to summer weather may be a contributing factor to the decrease in donations. They believe many regular donors got an early start on summer activities and aren’t taking time to give blood or platelets.

The Red Cross plays a critical role in our community, and I hope you'll consider stopping by our Community Media Lab Thursday here at 501 Broadway in downtown Troy. Free parking is available in our lot on Broadway between Fifth and Sixth avenues.

Take a look at some of the statistics provided by the Red Cross:

-- Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion.

-- All blood types are currently needed -- especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative in order to meet patient demand this summer.

-- Type O negative is the universal blood type and can be transfused to anyone who needs blood. It’s the blood type doctors turn to first in an emergency situation when there is no time to match a patient’s blood type.

-- Every day, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 pints of blood for patients at more than 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. Each pint of whole blood can help save more than one life.

To schedule an appointment, or for more information, call Rebecca Eppelmann at 270-1299 or 1-800-Red-Cross. The Record is located at 501 Broadway in Troy.

Thanks for thinking about making a donation and I hope to see you here on Thursday at The Record.