Baby boomers and Gen X can't do it alone. We need more young people to donate blood.

For most of us, it takes a tragedy to be reminded of the need for blood donation. Natural disasters and acts of violence often are followed by images of long lines at blood centers.

But it's the blood already on the shelves that makes a difference in a crisis. Blood can take up to 48 hours to be processed and tested before it can be used. That’s why the best way to save lives in an emergency is to donate in advance.

January marked National Blood Donor Month, which presents a collective, lifesaving resolution we can all take part in – blood donation.

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Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood. Hospitals cannot manufacture blood; only generous volunteers can donate this lifesaving resource. And 1 in 7 patients entering a hospital requires blood.

These include trauma victims; those battling anemia, cancer or sickle cell; and patients undergoing organ or bone marrow transplants.

The bottom line is that we need more blood donors – and especially young blood donors.

Gen Z and millennials need to roll up their sleeves

Individuals who begin giving blood when they’re in their teens or early 20s establish a lifelong lifesaving habit. But in recent years, our nation’s blood supply has lost a significant portion of donors under the age of 30.

In the past decade, blood centers have lost about 30% of donors in that age range, and high school and college-age donors are down nearly 50% since COVID-19.

Traditionally, colleges, high schools and offices have been used as blood drive sites, which was a convenient way to get students and young adults to participate. However, many of those sites became unavailable during the pandemic, and too few of them have resumed hosting blood drives in the years since.

Also, the Food and Drug Administration tightened its standards for blood donations in 2015, increasing required weights and levels of hemoglobin. These regulations are well intended, aimed at protecting donors from experiencing iron deficiencies, but they disproportionately impacted younger donors.

Whatever the cause of the decline, it is crucial for the health care community to reengage younger donors. While donors of all ages are vital, any operation that relies on baby boomers and Generation X needs a better long-term strategy.

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Versiti, a national leader in innovative blood health solutions, is the blood provider to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. That means donors here in central Ohio can directly support Ohio patients.

Versiti also facilitates the annual Blood Battle between Ohio State University and the University of Michigan.

Capitalizing on the football rivalry, the Blood Battle motivates students, employees and fans from each school to donate blood for their university hospital. Last year, the event collected more than 3,200 pints of blood – 1,732 pints from Ohio State donors and 1,469 from Michigan.

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We need more passion for blood donation like we see during the Blood Battle, but year-round and throughout the nation. Health care organizations should engage high schools, young adult recreation leagues, companies that employ large numbers of people, and other institutions to inspire the next generation to donate blood.

Let this be the start of a year where we not only focus on bettering ourselves but also saving the lives of others through the simple yet profound act of donating blood.

One hour of your time can save up to three lives. There is not another volunteer opportunity that makes that big of an impact. We need all donors. Tell a friend – or, better yet, tell your kids.

Danielle Falconer is the area vice president and director of blood services for the Versiti blood center of Ohio. This column first published in The Columbus Dispatch.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: US has blood shortage. Gen Z, millennials, roll up your sleeves