[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19227]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO THE LIFESERVE BLOOD CENTER

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 16, 2013

  Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to National 
Blood Donor Month and to recognize the great work being done by the 
volunteers and professionals who comprise the LifeServe Blood Center.
  Established in 1969 by President Nixon, National Blood Donor Month is 
celebrated in January to bring awareness to the immeasurable difference 
made by blood donations. During National Blood Donor Month, we thank 
those across the country who have saved lives by donating in the past 
and encourage previous and first-time donors alike to schedule an 
appointment. Each year, only 10 percent of those eligible to donate 
blood choose to do so, although nearly 38,000 pints of blood are needed 
every day to sustain a sufficient and secure blood supply.
  As one of the largest blood centers in the country, LifeServe Blood 
Center assists more than 100 hospitals in Iowa, Nebraska, and South 
Dakota by providing much-needed blood and blood supplies. In addition 
to their role as a local blood supplier, LifeServe also provides a wide 
range of healthcare solutions to our communities including transfusion 
medicine, cellular therapy, and research. It is blood centers like 
LifeServe that stand ready, in the face of disasters and emergencies, 
to meet the blood supply needs of our cities, states, and nation.
  Mr. Speaker, the great work done every day by LifeServe, and all 
blood centers across the country, provides a crucial and life-saving 
service to our communities. In honor of National Blood Donor Month, I 
invite my colleagues in the House to join me in encouraging regular 
blood donations in this time of need and thanking all blood donors for 
their invaluable and selfless contribution. It is a great honor to 
represent the men and women of LifeServe in the United States Congress 
and I look forward to all of Iowa's participation in the busiest 
National Blood Donor Month yet. Thank you.

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