Residents encouraged to ‘give the gift of life’ at college blood drive in Dixon

DIXON – The American Red Cross and Sauk Valley Community College are inviting Sauk Valley residents to their annual fall blood drive.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, visitors can “give the gift of life” at SVCC’s Dillon Mall, 173 Route 2 in Dixon. Donors will receive a $10 Visa gift card and a newly designed shirt from the American Red Cross. Donors should bring identification and are advised to eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before coming in.

Walk-ins are welcome, or you can make an appointment online at redcross.org or by calling 815-835-6432.

Each year, SVCC holds blood drives during its spring, fall and summer semesters. SVCC student activities/cross-cultural coordinator Ana Salgado said the SVCC Student Government Association sponsors the drives as part of its community service.

“Blood drives give students the opportunity to help save lives, gain volunteer hours and develop leadership skills,” Salgado said.

According to the American Red Cross website, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. will need blood or platelets, the colorless cell fragments in blood that form clots to stop or prevent bleeding. Although the organization encourages all blood types to donate, Type O is the one most often requested by hospitals.

Salgado said that according to information from the American Red Cross, SVCC’s fall and summer blood drives last year collected 62 pints of blood, which could save up to 186 lives.