The Washington-Wilkes Community Blood Drive sponsored by Wills Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Shepeard Community Blood Center, Augusta, will be held on Thursday, May 18, from 2 until 7 p.m., at the Edward B. Pope Center on Lexington Avenue.

Shepeard Community Blood Center is the only supplier of blood to Wills Memorial Hospital and other area hospitals, including University Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, and Doctors Hospital.

The Shepeard Center was established in 1978 by Dr. Walter Shepeard, a pathologist at the Medical College of Georgia, and was the first community blood center in the state of Georgia. Wilkes County was the first community blood drive held. This year is the 27th year that the Wills Memorial Hospital Auxiliary has sponsored the project.

Every unit of blood donated helps to save the lives of three local patients. Anyone who is 17 years old and weighs 110 lbs. or more, and is in good health can be a blood donor. Hospital Auxiliary members will be on hand to provide refreshments and a T-shirt to donors.

The bloodmobile will be parked at Pliant Inc. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and other surrounding plants are invited to join them. The goal for the Pope Center Drive is 45 donations; and 25 for Pliant.

High school students are encouraged to give blood after having had two outstanding drives at the school last year.