When people think of summer, they tend to think of beaches, pool parties, barbecues, summer jobs, and many more activities. But what many don’t think of is donating blood. While the pool of donors goes down, the need for blood in life-saving situations never slows, says Angela Reese, an employee at the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center.

“People get busy with other activities and often don’t think about stopping in for a blood donation. We work hard to increase awareness of the importance of giving year round – especially in times of high need,” Reese explains.

According to a story run by local news station KWQC, Quad City blood centers face a 20% donation decline during summer months. This is especially hazardous given the upcoming holidays.

“The next few weeks are a critical time for blood donations due to the upcoming Fourth of July holiday.  We lose a day of collections, which further impacts our supply,” Reese told The Blackhawk. 

But local area groups are trying to fill the gap with blood drives during the summer, such as Central’s choir department. Their annual “Blood, Sweat, and Tears” blood drive, which is currently on its eighth year, is coming up on the 20th of June from 3:00 to 6:00 in the lobby of Central’s Performing Arts Center. If the choirs can get a minimum of 20 donors, the Vocal Music Boosters will get a donation for $250.

But that’s not all. When you donate at the drive, you get a voucher for a $10 gift card from either Casey’s, Domino’s, Dairy Queen, or Amazon, plus you’ll be entered in a raffle for a $500 gift card. And if that’s not enough of an incentive, according to the American Red Cross Blood Services, one donation can save the lives of up to three people. Three lives saved for ten to fifteen minutes of your day.

And if the 20th doesn’t fit in your schedule, don’t worry. The annual High School Challenge Blood Drive will take place on June 24th, in North Park Mall across from H&M. That drive is schedules from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM. The school who has the most donations by the end of the day will get a $250 grant.

So, take some time out of your day to save lives and help your school. Then, get back to having some summer fun!

If you want to donate at the Choir Blood Drive, contact Michael Reese at @[email protected] or Angela Reese at @[email protected] with a 45 minute time frame to be signed up for a donation timeslot.