Costa Howard Encourages Healthy Residents to Donate Blood During April

LOMBARD – State Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, is urging healthy residents to consider donating blood at one of the upcoming local blood drives on Wednesday, April 15, hosted by Versiti Blood Center and the Village of Lombard.

“During this pandemic, blood drives across the country have been canceled and or greatly reduced, causing blood supply shortages,” said Costa Howard. “There are so many surgery patients and others who rely on donated blood for their survival. I want people to know that it’s possible to donate blood without violating our social distancing guidelines, and I hope that healthy residents will step up and participate in these upcoming blood drives.”

To protect staff and donors, Versiti is taking a number of additional precautions, including taking donors’ temperatures before they enter and spacing donation chairs at least six feet apart. Donors are also being asked to sign up for appointments in advance, to reduce the number of people waiting in the donor center. (Full details on Versiti’s increased donor safety precautions may be found at https://www.versiti.org/home/coronavirus-information#schedule-now.)

Healthy donors may sign up for appointments at villageoflombard.org/402/blood-drives, versiti.org/IL or by sending an email to cpiazza@versiti.org. Any donors who are feverish or feeling ill on the day of their appointment are asked to stay home.

The blood drives will be held on Wednesday, April 15, in the following locations:
• 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 24 and 42 Yorktown Center in the Yorktown Convenient Center, in the north end of the Yorktown Shopping Center parking lot.
• 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Glenbard East High School field house, at 1014 Main St. in Lombard.
• 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the B.R. Ryall YMCA gym, at 49 Deicke Drive in Glen Ellyn.
• 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the large gym at Ackerman Park, at 800 St. Charles Road in Glen Ellyn.

“Blood donation is an essential activity, and Versiti is taking extra precautions to protect donors and blood bank staff,” Costa Howard said. “If you are sick or vulnerable, or if you have someone in your household who is at high risk, you are doing your part to save lives simply by staying home. But for those of us who are healthy, I am urging you to help out during these difficult times by donating blood.”