Many Local Drives Scheduled As National Blood Dwindles

With national blood supplies at emergency levels, no fewer than 10 local blood drives are scheduled in Algonquin, Huntley and Lake in the Hills this month.  Last week the American Red Cross, which supplies almost half the blood used in the U.S., reported donations fell 50,000 short of expectations in June leaving some supplies perilously low.

Red Cross Officials attributed the shortfall to early vacations during an unseasonably warm Spring and donor reluctance to do anything at all in a so far-sweltering Summer.  Complicating matters, Heartland Blood Centers, one of the two major blood suppliers for Northern Illinois, took over supply  responsibility for 9 more hospitals in the Chicago area Sunday, boosting to 47 the number of hospitals to which it supplies blood.

Here's the list of local blood drives for July:

HUNTLEY - July 5 from 9 am to 1 pm at Del Webb Sun City: Meadow View Lodge; All donors will receive a $5 dollar Dunkin Donut Gift Card.
HUNTLEY - July 7 from 08 am to 12:30 pm Saint Mary's Knights of Columbus quarterly blood drive at the Church. All donors will receive a coupon good for a quart of Oberweis Ice Cream and a free 140th anniversary t-shirt.
LAKE IN THE HILLS - July 12 from 11 am to 5 pm at Geneva Partners, LLC: 9 Crystal Lake Road,  Ste. 200. If more than 50 appear, it will mean a $1,000 donation to the the Autism School in Crystal Lake.
LAKE IN THE HILLS - July 16 from 11 am to 2:30 pm at Jersey Mike's Subs, 285 North Randall Road
ALGONQUIN - July 18 from 1 pm to 7 pm at Snap Fitness, Algonquin, East Algonquin Road. Every Donor will receive a gift card for a free quart of Oberweis Ice Cream.
HUNTLEY - July 22 from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church, Church Street.
ALGONQUIN - July 25 from 12 pm to 4:00 pm at Algonquin Village Hall. Every Donor will receive a gift card for a quart of free Oberweis Ice Cream.
HUNTLEY - July 30 from 11 am to 03:30 pm at Centegra Health Bridge Fitness Center.
LAKE IN THE HILLS - July 30 from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm at Brightstar Home Health: 4590 Princeton Lane,  Ste. 110.
ALGONQUIN - July 31 from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm at Tutor Time, 2420 Harnish Drive.

The Red Cross reports nationally all blood types are needed, but especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative in order to meet patient demand this summer.