UCHealth needs you to give one last gift this holiday season, and it's one that can't be wrapped.

The hospital's Garth Englund Blood Donation Centers are urging the public to donate blood this December and January.

During the holidays, travel and winter illnesses can prevent people from keeping up with their regular blood donation schedules, according to a press release from UCHealth.

This causes local blood supplies to decrease, while the needs of patients remain the same.

Donations of all blood types are important, but the center especially needs blood from donors who are O positive or O negative.

According to Kaitlin Zobel, the donor recruiter at the centers, making a donation appointment in just the next three weeks can help out immensely.

Zobel also encouraged the public to make it their New Year's resolution to become a regular blood donor, where you donate blood every eight weeks.

In order to donate, you must be at least 18 years old, or 17 years old with a parent's permission. You must weigh at least 120 pounds, be in good health, and show photo identification.

The entire process takes around 30 to 40 minutes. Doctors recommend eating a healthy meal and staying hydrated before donating.

The center is also in need of platelet donations. Guidelines for this process can be found here.

A donation appointment can be made at either of Garth Englund's blood donor centers, located at 1025 Pennock Place in Fort Collins and at 2500 Rocky Mountain Avenue in Loveland.

Call 970-680-8053 to schedule an appointment at either location. All of the blood donated stays local, helping patients in Greeley, Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, and Estes Park.

"Thirty minutes of your time could mean a lifetime to a person in need – and his or her family and friends," said Zobel.

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