CHICAGO – In honor of Sickle Cell Awareness Month — and to make sure hospitals have the blood supply they need — the Red Cross is teaming up with the International WeLoveU Foundation for a nationwide blood drive.
What we know:
People were seen at the Wintrust Sports Complex in Bedford Park donating blood.
As summer comes to a close and families send their kids back to school, patients dealing with illness or injury continue to rely on the generosity of blood donations.
The Red Cross is calling on everyone who is eligible to donate blood to make time for a life-saving act.
“Anyone 16 and older, there is no age limit for donating blood,” said Emily Alanis. “You have to be well and healthy and at least 110 pounds. The good news is, coming off of summer we need all blood types. We’ve done a lot of things to make it easier — there’s no more finger prick. It’s really just one unit of blood, and with that one unit you can save three lives.”
What you can do:
If you can’t donate blood, don’t worry. There are other ways you can help. Just visit RedCross.org to see how you can make a difference.
The Source: Details for this story were provide by the Red Cross during an interview on Good Day Chicago Saturday.