Donate to a Red Cross blood drive and get a $10 Amazon gift card

The American Red Cross is urging blood donors to give now, as the holidays and impacts of seasonal illnesses are expected to cause a strain on the nation's blood supply.

Blood banks often struggle to provide the blood hospital patients need. Donors of type-O blood and platelets are especially needed, the organization said. 

To sweeten the deal, if you donate from now until Dec. 15 at a Red Cross-affiliated center, you be sent a $10 Amazon gift card by mail.

Click here to find a center and make an appointment near you. As of Nov. 28, there are at least six Red Cross-affiliated blood drives in the Baltimore area.