The American Red Cross is starting a national initiative to try and raise supplies of type O negative blood.

A spokesperson at the Watauga County Chapter of the American Red Cross said while the organization isn’t running out of O negative blood, their supply is diminishing.

O negative blood is especially valuable to medical personnel because it is the universal blood type, meaning it can be safely transfused to a person with any other blood type.

If you’d like to donate, the Watauga County Red Cross has several blood drives coming up.

There will be a blood drive on Wednesday, June 17, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at Appalachian State’s Plemmons Student Union in the Grandfather Ball Rooms.

Another will be held on Friday, June 19, from 1:30 until 6:30 p.m. at Wal-Mart in the Watauga Shopping Village.

The Blowing Rock Rotary Club will be sponsoring a blood drive at St. Mary of the Hills on Tuesday, June 23 from 11:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Another blood drive will be held on Thursday, June 25, at Caldwell Community College’s Watauga Campus from 9:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

There are several other blood drives scheduled for later in the month.  High Country Radio will be sure to pass along those dates as they approach.