The holidays are a time to be thankful and a time for giving.

One way you can give back this holiday season is to be a blood donor.

Every day, Kentucky Blood Center needs more than 400 donors to give the gift of life so local patients’ lives can be saved, according to a release issued Monday.

Patients need blood for a variety of reasons — cancer treatments, premature births, car accidents, diseases, surgeries and more.

“Local blood donors are the reason why Kentucky Blood Center can provide the life-saving gifts needed to more than 70 hospitals,” the release states.

Kentucky Blood Center has several blood drives planned in Winchester:

— From 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Winchester Walmart, 1859 Bypass Road

— From 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Clark County Public Library, 370 S. Burns Ave.

— From 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Palmer Engineering, 400 Shopper Drive

Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health, show a photo ID and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at kybloodcenter.org.

Walk-ins are welcome. To schedule a donation, visit kybloodcenter.org or call 800-775-2522.