Lincoln Wal-Mart hosts community blood drive
this Saturday    

[SEPT. 19, 2003]  On Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., the Lincoln Wal-Mart will be the site of a community blood drive.

Blood collected at this blood drive through Central Illinois Community Blood Center will help patients in Lincoln, Hopedale and Springfield hospitals, as well as eight other hospitals in central Illinois. Due to the sudden closing of Gateway Blood Center of St. Louis, CICBC is temporarily supplying blood to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville and St. Anthony's Hospital in Alton.  No other organization provides blood in any of these hospitals.

This is a perfect opportunity for community members to help save lives and also support Lincoln Community High School by designating your blood donation to help the Railers in their attempt to win the Springfield Clinic High School Blood Challenge and a $1,000 scholarship for Lincoln Community High School.  

Donating blood is a gift of love from one human being to another. It is safe and easy to do. It doesn't cost anything except about an hour of your time and a small stick in your arm. You may not know the person you save, but you can be sure they will be someone's parent, child, sibling or best friend.

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You may donate blood if you are at least 17 years old (16 years old with a signed permission slip from parent or guardian), weigh at least 110 pounds, are in good health and have not donated in the past 56 days (eight weeks). There is no upper age limit. You need to eat well before you donate and have a picture ID or two other forms of ID.

CICBC has received permission from the FDA to accept blood from donors who have been clear of cancer for five years or more (except for melanoma, leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkins disease or non-Hodgkins lymphoma).

As a blood donor, you are truly saving lives.

Please donate blood. It's about life.

[CICBC news release]