Clearwater, FL (PressExposure) July 14, 2010 -- To help win the war against a low supply of blood, the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology held their second blood drive for Florida Blood Services in downtown Clearwater this weekend. 59 pints of blood were collected in total, with 27 of these directly from Volunteer Ministers.

The pints of blood were very much needed, as drives scheduled over the 4th of July weekend, usually a prime time for blood donations were rained out due to heavy storms that hit the area.

Florida Blood Services, on their website, states that 90% of the population will need donated blood in their lifetime. Every 2 to 3 seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. Tragically, only 37% of the population in the US is eligible to give blood and less than 10% donate annually.

Judy Fagerman, the Coordinator for the Volunteer Ministers in Tampa helped to organize the drive. “As L. Ron Hubbard said, “A being is only as valuable as he can serve others,” Fagerman stated.

“I find the blood drive a great way to serve the community,” she said. “It is very rewarding to know that each pint of blood that is donated will help save three lives, and only takes 30 minutes out of a person’s day.” Donations of whole blood can be broken down into different components, she explained: platelets, red blood cells and plasma, and these can be used to address specific injuries or surgeries.

Of blood that is donated, 20% goes to help treat cancer patients, most of whom are children. Fagerman is looking forward to the next drive and plans to promote this event even more so that more people will donate.

The Volunteer Ministers have become renowned for their work in disaster sites as diverse as New York after 9/11, the Asian Tsunamis, California brushfires and Haiti’s earthquake.

About Volunteer Ministers, Church of Scientology

To find out more about Florida Blood Services, and how you can become a donor, please log on to http://www.fbsblood.org. To find out more about the Volunteer Ministers, please go to http://www.volunteerministers.org.

Press Release Source: http://PressExposure.com/PR/Volunteer_Ministers,_Church_of_Scientology.html