Assemblyman John Ceretto to sponsor American Red Cross blood drive

Assemblyman John Ceretto is sponsoring a blood drive for the American Red Cross. The event runs from from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the John A. Duke Senior Center in Niagara Falls on May 17.

Participants will be entered into a raffle with a chance to win a $50 gift card to Lowe's Home Improvement.

"Blood is in urgent need, not just now, but year-round," Ceretto said. "Please come join us for this great event, and I appreciate your generous gift of life. The $50 Lowe's gift card is just an added incentive on top of helping hospitals save lives."

Walk-ins are welcome, but to ensure an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org. ID is required, and the Red Cross may decline to take a blood donation depending on eligibility requirements. To be a blood donor, one must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. There is additional eligibility criteria that participants will be screened for on location. This additional criteria can be viewed at http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements/eligibility-criteria-alphabetical-listing.