One minute a family is enjoying a perfect summer vacation and a minute later they are speeding to the nearest emergency room. It is the season of living dangerously. The proof can be found in a report that hospitals in Salt Lake City have seen the need for blood transfusions triple in the last month.

Unfortunately, just when they need them the most, blood banks see a big decrease in donors. With most schools and community groups on hiatus during the traditional vacation season, there are fewer organized blood drives even though emergency rooms and hospitals are clamoring for increased blood supplies.

And because of its popularity as a recreation center, Summit County sees more than its share of summertime injuries. Every day, county dispatchers are busy routing calls for firemen, paramedics and ambulances as outdoor enthusiasts experience mishaps on their motorcycles, mountain bikes, horses, jet skis, four-wheelers, home remodeling projects, etc.

That is why, this Sunday, Summit County residents are asked to try to take a day off from their active pursuits in order to participate in ARUP Blood Services’ collection drive at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on S.R. 224.

ARUP provides blood to the University of Utah Medical Center, Primary Children’s Hospital, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and the Shiners Hospital for Children, all of which provide vital health care services for our community as well as the rest of the Intermountain West.

Blood is a precious commodity. It is perishable and also comes in specific types some more rare than others — that must precisely match the patient’s blood type. It can mean the difference between life and death for an accident victim.

Summer is in full swing in Park City and the surrounding mountains. Already there have been two serious motorcycle accidents on Wolf Creek Pass, two cycling fatalities, a bicycle/automobile crash and countless other summer-related injuries.

The injuries may be impossible to avoid but Summit County residents can help avoid a dire shortage of lifesaving blood by participating in this weekend’s vital blood drive. ARUP will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at the intersection of White Pine Canyon Road and S.R. 224, Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parish center.

If it is impossible to participate on Sunday, please consider making an individual appointment to donate blood at an ARUP center in Salt Lake City by calling (801) 584-5272.