Most of us are looking for something to do to celebrate summer — a relatively normal summer, at that.

There are camps, vacations, home improvement projects, fairs and festivals … plenty to occupy active families. Consider adding something else to the list: become a blood donor. The situation is similar for both the Community Blood Bank and the American Red Cross. Community Blood Bank officials report a critical need for all blood types except for AB positive.

“As we resume some level of normalcy with progress in the battle against the pandemic, the need for blood is increasing,” Jaclyn Seymour, Community Blood Bank community relations specialist, said recently. “Hospitals have resumed nonessential surgeries, and patients are resuming treatment options that include the use of blood and blood components that were postponed during the past year. These factors and more have led to a rise in the need for eligible individuals to donate.”

If you take time to donate blood, you’ll help someone else — maybe even save a life — and have the bragging rights that go with it. Visit the Community Blood Bank’s website at fourhearts.org or call 1-877-842-0631, or visit the Red Cross website at redcrossblood.org or call the local office at 814-723-6000 to get started. You, and those you help, will be glad you did.