May 17, 2024
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Blood donation save lives – Here are 3 opportunities to give

U.S. blood supplies need rebuilding. Winter weather is negatively impacting those efforts.

By Denise M. Baran-Unland
The American Red Cross is also urging healthy donors of all blood types to give blood or platelets and help ensure a stable blood supply for patients this holiday season.

Blood donations plunged during the COVID-19 pandemic. As donations increased, winter weather negatively impacted donation efforts. In response to the need, three Will County organizations are holding blood drives in January 2022 and February 2022. (Photo by)

Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant shortage in blood supplies, donations were starting to rise again until winter weather complicated the rebuilding efforts, according to a Jan. 24 news release from the Red Cross.

“Hundreds of blood drives have been canceled across the country due to winter storms this month, forcing nearly approximately 7,400 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected,” the Red Cross said.

But pandemics and weather don’t stop cancer patients, trauma patients, sickle cell patients, patients with chronic diseases and burn victims from needing blood. Here are ways you can donate over the next few week.

The St. Jude Council 10637 Knights of Columbus are hosting a blood drive from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at 2204 McDonough St. in Joliet. To schedule an appointment, visit bit.ly/3AC7LmU. For information, call Brian Bergmann at 815-953-9301 or Versiti at 815 744-7966.

The University of St. Francis (USF) is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Feb. 4 in the Assembly Hall Gym at USF’s St. Clare Campus at 1550 Plainfield Road in Joliet. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org. Save up to 15 minutes when you donate blood by using RapidPass. For information, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.

Troy Township and State Rep Larry Walsh, Jr. will host a blood drive with Versiti Blood Center of Illinois from 3 to 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Troy Township Community Center at 25448 Seil Road in Shorewood. Appointments are preferred but not required. Walk-in donations may increase the wait time. Schedule at versiti.org. For information, visit troytownship.com.

For other donation opportunities, visit donate.illinois.versiti.org/donor/schedules/zip and redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive.