Umina was second in blood competition

The Rotary Club of Umina Beach placed second in recent competition between Rotary Clubs to recruit the most new blood donors.

Umina Beach Rotary Club recruited 10 new donors but was beaten by Erina which had the most new recruits with 19.

The award, known as the Vampire Cup, is the size of a blood donation.

"This was a novel way to encourage people to donate blood to the Red Cross Blood Service," Mr Geoff Melville from Umina Rotary Club said.

"The Central Coast needs 100 donors every day just for the Central Coast," he said.

"It's something that people don't realise, but only three to four per cent of people actually donate blood, and when people get into accidents they need blood.

"You can actually donate plasma every two weeks."

The competition was started last year by Rotary and Mr Melville said the clubs hoped to make it bigger each year.

"We want to get more clubs involved," he said.

The Red Cross is currently understocked of blood supplies and is calling for donations of A-positive, O-positive, O-negative and AB-negative donors.

Woy Woy Red Cross Centre in Ocean Beach Rd is open Tuesday 2pm to 7.30pm and Wednesday 9am to 2.30pm to take donations.

Email, October 14