DEMOPOLIS &8212; A blood drive is being held for United Blood Service (UBS) tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Demopolis Civic Center.

The drive is one of several projects done by the Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital Auxiliary to help serve the hospital and its needs. Hospital Auxiliary President Alice Boggs said there is a large demand for blood and the need usually increases during the summer.

Boggs said there is an increase in activities in the summer, which correlates to an increase in accidents and thus a higher demand for blood units. She said along with the war, which has increased demand, the forest fires in Florida and Georgia produce a need for units to satisfy the demands of hospitals dealing with people involved.

She said the drive helps people of the immediate community as well as other areas needing the precious liquid. BWWMH gets its blood from the bank that is collecting at the drive, so by giving blood people could be helping themselves.

Boggs said there are some limitations of who can give blood. The base ground rules state that a person must be 17-years-old and weigh at least 110 pounds before they can donate blood. A person who has cold or flu symptoms, taking oral antibiotics, has had hepatitis after the age of 31 or has been around a person with clinical hepatitis, has skin piercing or tattoos or has been acupunctured, received a blood transfusion, had malaria or in a high risk malaria country in the past 12 months are barred from donating.