The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to end the year with real meaning by donating blood for hospital patients in need.

Holiday activities, severe weather and seasonal illnesses, like the flu, can pull people away from their regular blood donation schedules. This creates a greater need for blood donations this time of year, especially around the winter holidays.

To encourage donations, all those who come to donate Dec. 23 through Jan. 3 will get a long-sleeve Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.

Jamie Czesak made her first blood donation on Dec. 27, 2013.

“As I spent Christmas with my family, I realized how lucky I was to have my health and how we never really know when our last Christmas will be,” she said in a press release. “ I decided that I would face my fears and do one of the few things I can do to help save someone’s life — donate blood.”

Healthy donors with all blood types are needed, especially those with types AB, O, B negative and A negative. To make an appointment to donate blood, download the free Red Cross Blood Donor App from app stores, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Austin sites

Dec. 21: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Primrose Retirement Communities, 1701 22nd Ave. SW

Dec. 22: Noon to 6 p.m., St John’s Lutheran, 1200 NW 13th Ave.

Dec. 29: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., St. Edwards Catholic Church, 2000 Oakland Ave. W.

Donors can now use the Blood Donor App to access their donor card and view vital signs from previous donations.