Village of Skokie Community Blood Drive Held at the Skokie Farmers' Market

The Skokie Health Department, in partnership with LifeSource, will hold a community blood drive at the August 8, September 12 and October 10, 2010 Skokie Farmers' Markets from 7:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. LifeSource's mobile van will be onsite at the market for donors to easily and conveniently donate blood. The goal for these drives is to collect at least 150 donations, and it can only be met with your help. Please consider donating blood to save a life.  For each blood drive event, each donor will be put into a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate to restaurants in Downtown Skokie.

You are eligible to donate if you are 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and are healthy. The Health Department especially encourages people with O-type blood to donate, as they are "universal donors" whose blood can be used with any other blood type. Each pint of blood donated can help up to three people, and you can donate once every 56 days. If you donate the maximum of six times a year, up to 18 people can benefit.

Blood donations in the Village of Skokie are at a ten year low, with just 323 pints donated from May to December, 2009. This is a 43% decrease from the same time period during 2008, and creates the potential for a regional shortage of blood.

For more information or to schedule a specific appointment time, contact the Skokie Health Department at 847/933-8252.