Here’s a Valentine’s Day gift that’s straight from the heart

How about a quick pint before you get on the plane? Um, not of beer though. Passengers at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana on Monday will have an opportunity to mark Valentine’s Day by giving blood.

The Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross will be collecting donations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at a Bloodmobile on the lower level outside Terminal A of the Thomas F. Riley Terminal.

The Red Cross estimates that 30,000 blood donations have gone uncollected since the beginning of the year because of blizzards in much of the country, according to the organization’s website. The Red Cross particularly needs donations of O-negative, A-negative and B-negative blood types.

If you plan to give, allow at least an hour (though the actual blood draw takes only eight to 10 minutes). To make an appointment, go to the Blood Donation Appointment page and click on the box for John Wayne Airport. Or call (800) 448-3543.