Numbers in the news

63

For some reason, donations to Salvation Army kettles have plunged this Christmas season. A spokesman for the organization's Western Pennsylvania Division said 63 percent of the 44 locations in the division are behind collection projections.

Emporium's collections are on course, but Ridgway's have fallen behind. The division has a collection goal of $2.38 million to meet its basic charitable responsibilities in 28 counties.

Division Commander Major Robert J. Reel said a fall-off in volunteers and lousy weather are the two biggest factors in the declining donations.

Red kettles account for roughly 15 percent of each local center's budget. Donors may also give online by logging onto salvationarmywpa. org and indicating where their funds should be directed.

5

Although 60 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood, only about five percent actually do.

Among those who benefit from blood donations are patients with cancer or other diseases, organ transplant recipients, accident and trauma victims, premature infants and people with blood disorders.

As many as 4.5 million Americans are saved each year with blood transfusions.

62.5

Odds are against John Rigas and his son, Tim, having their appeal heard by the U. S. Supreme Court.

Syndicated columnist James J. Kilpatrick pointed out in a recent column that the high court has accepted an average of only 62.5 cases per year, out of about 10,000 petitions filed annually. The figure used to be more along the lines of 120, Kilpatrick pointed out.

The Rigases still have other appeal options and continue to proclaim their innocence.

67

All 67 mammography facilities in Pennsylvania passed a recent state inspection. This included Kane Community Hospital and Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport.

DEP inspects each of the state's approximately 400 certified mammography facilities annually.

117

Pennsylvania has one of the largest park systems in the country with 117 state parks that accommodate about 36 million visits a year.