Red Cross Blood Donation Opportunity Coming to River Forest

Submitted by the Red Cross.

During Red Cross Month in March, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to join in its lifesaving mission by giving blood.

Since 1943, every U.S. president has designated March as Red Cross Month to recognize how the Red Cross helps people down the street, across the country and around the world.

Red Cross Month is a celebration of the everyday heroes, like Karla Essmiller, who are the face of the Red Cross in their communities. Essmiller began donating blood and even coordinated a few blood drives when she was in college. “Donating blood is a simple gift that I can make that may help up to three people live another day,” she said. “That makes me feel like a hero!”

The Red Cross depends on blood donor heroes across the nation to collect enough blood to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals nationwide. Donors of all blood types are needed to help accident and burn victims, patients undergoing organ transplants, those receiving cancer treatments and others who rely on blood products.

Make an appointment to become a hero to patients in need by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

IL

Cook

Chicago
3/1/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Loyola University - Regis Hall, 6340 N. Winthrop Ave

River Forest
3/1/2016: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Dominican University Resident Life, 7900 W. Division

Chicago
3/2/2016: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Bartlett Commons, 5640 South University

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Iroquois

Clifton
3/2/2016: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Clifton Central High School, 1134 E 3100 N Central HS Rd

Buckley
3/3/2016: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Christ Lutheran High School, 201 W. Lincoln

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Kankakee

Bourbonnais
3/3/2016: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Kankakee Blood Donation Center, 20 Heritage Drive

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Cook

Maywood
3/4/2016: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Loyola University Center for Fitness, 2160 S. First Ave, Loyola Center for Fitness

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Kankakee

Kankakee
3/4/2016: 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Bishop McNamara Catholic H.S., 550 W. Brookmont Blvd.

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DuPage

Bartlett
3/5/2016: 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 751 Army Trail Rd.

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Cook

Burbank
3/7/2016: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Queen of Peace High School, 7659 Linder Ave

Chicago

3/8/2016: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive

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Lake

Grayslake
3/8/2016: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., College of Lake County, 19351 W. Washington

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Kankakee

Bourbonnais
3/10/2016: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Kankakee Blood Donation Center, 20 Heritage Drive

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Lake

Waukegan
3/10/2016: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., College of Lake County Lakeshore Campus, 1 N Genesee Street

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Kankakee

Aroma Park
3/12/2016: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., United Methodist Church, 3rd and Division

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Lake

Buffalo Grove
3/13/2016: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Joyce Kilmer Elementary School, 655 Golfview Terrace

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Cook

Chicago
3/14/2016: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago
3/15/2016: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago

How to donate blood

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.