Show Editorial a TAKING GOOD THINGS FOR GRANTED Since Since its inception we have been an ardent supporter of the Red Cross Blood Program We still are It is for this reason that we believe certain problems the of of the program should be brought to the attention public firmly and forcefully show snow There are no actual statistics that can be cited to how many lives have been saved by this program which makes blood available readily and freely but no doubt show how many Sere there are many There are no statistics to people have been helped to a quicker and less painful recovery how much money has been saved in hospital billsby bills billsby by shorter hospital stays but no doubt they are large how will show statistics which There are however I much money the people of our country have been saved by having blood available when it was needed at no per unit cost Such figures can readily be obtained by multiplying multiplying multiply multiply- available for Sanpete Sanpete Sanpete San San- ing the number of units of blood made pete County people in our own hospitals and elsewhere by a figure of about 25 This is an average cost users of of blood would have have- to pay if supplies were not available from the Red Cross program This simple problem In multiplication multiplication multiplication mul mul- will show that the people of Sanpete County 2 have saved thousands of dollars in blood costs since thet the t i. program was started Obviously no such program can be operated without somebody paying the costs both the direct costs of operating operating l ing the program and the costs which would accrue if the program did not exist The direct costs are paid when contributions contributions con con- of money are made to the Red Cross The indirect in in- 4 direct costs are paid by the men and women of the county who take time to go to the bloodmobile when it is in our county and donate blood And it is a fairly safe assertion that most of the regular donors have never needed blood I themselves People who donate to the program do however provide pro pro- provide vide insurance for themselves and their families When they donate they are given cards that provide blood for I I themselves and their families when it is needed and th the veteran donors members of Gallan Club and higher receive receive receive re re- permanent cards This is a fine program It has meant much to all all' of us whether we participated directly or not But as is the case with many of the fine things we have at little or no nocost 5 cost too many of us tend to take it for granted and to to- 5 forget that all of us have a responsibility for it It is to be hoped that there will be a good turnout of new and regular donors when the bloodmobile next visits Sanpete County at Ephraim November 29 from 2 to 6 pm p.m. |