Miller-Keystone Blood Center is giving blood donors an extra reason to be thankful this holiday season. Individuals registering to donate blood, platelets or plasma at any MKBC donor center, satellite location or community blood drive before Nov. 22 will be automatically entered for a chance to win a $1,000 gift card to the grocery store of their choice.

“Our nation is experiencing a critical blood shortage, and the challenges are expected to intensify as we approach the holiday season,” said Monika Kotlarska-Gross, director of donor relations, MKBC. “Between busy holiday schedules, seasonal illnesses and unpredictable winter weather, blood donations often decline while the need remains constant.”

Kotlarska-Gross emphasized that the need for blood doesn’t take a break. “Approximately 350 blood donations are needed every day to support patients at hospitals throughout our region, including cancer patients, accident victims, premature babies and others requiring lifesaving transfusions,” she explained.

She added, “As our way of saying thank you, one lucky donor will receive a $1,000 grocery gift card to help make this year’s holiday dinner a little more special.”

To be eligible to donate blood, individuals must be at least 16 years old, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, be in good health, and have not donated whole blood within the past eight weeks. All donors must present valid photo identification. A complete list of eligibility requirements is available at GiveAPint.org/who-can-donate-blood/.

To schedule a lifesaving donation, call 800-B-A-DONOR (223-6667), ext. 2, visit GIVEaPINT.org, scan the QR Code, or download the MKBC Donor App.