XENIA — Community Blood Center is asking donors to “Be a Deer” by donating during Christmas week at the Greene Memorial Hospital community blood drive 12-4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28.

The CBC Bloodmobile will be at the Medical Education Building, 1140 Monroe Dr. The “Be a Deer — Donate Blood” long-sleeve T-shirt is free to everyone who registers to donate. Schedule an appointment online at www.DonorTime.com or call 1-800-388-GIVE.

The holiday season is here and CBC is giving special thanks to those who take the time to donate. The limited edition “Be a Deer — Donate Blood” long-sleeve T-shirt is a gift to everyone who registers to donate through Saturday, Dec. 30 at a CBC Donor Center and most CBC mobile blood drives.

The T-shirt is mistletoe green with the smiling face of a reindeer sketched in light green and white. The “Be a Deer — Donate Blood” theme is a revival of the popular holiday campaign from December 2014, proving that heartfelt wishes are evergreen.

The holiday season is a challenging time for maintaining the area blood supply. Holiday activities, wintry weather and seasonal illnesses can reduce the number of donors and disrupt blood drive schedules. Donors who miss an appointment are asked to reschedule when possible.

The challenges for maintaining the region’s blood supply go beyond the usual demands of the holiday season. CBC enters the new year with the mission of building a new community of dedicated platelet and plasma donors. The automated process of giving platelets and plasma is called “apheresis” and the number of these special donors is dwindling. Overall, about 53 percent of the CBC donor base is over the age of 50.