Chicago, IL – In response to the lowest blood donor numbers in 20 years, the American Red Cross has declared an emergency blood shortage and is offering donors a chance to win Super Bowl LVIII tickets. The dramatic decrease in donors has led to a critical shortfall in the national blood supply, particularly impacting the availability of type O blood, essential for emergency transfusions.
According to the American Red Cross, there was a shortfall of almost 7,000 blood donations during the recent holiday period, exacerbating the shortage. Hospitals are now receiving blood products at a rate faster than donations are coming in, leading to limited distributions and potential delays in medical procedures.
To combat this crisis, blood drives are scheduled across Illinois. Iroquois County will have drives in Danforth (Jan 15, 12 pm – 6 pm, Danforth Community Building) and Watseka (Jan 12, 8 am – 12 pm, The Arc of Iroquois County). In Livingston County, drives are set for Dwight (Jan 16, 12:30 pm – 5:30 pm, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church), Fairbury (Jan 24, 11:30 am – 5:30 pm, First United Methodist Church), and Pontiac (Jan 24, 11 am – 5 pm, Pontiac Township Senior Community Center).
The Red Cross encourages Illinois residents to donate blood during these drives, not only to alleviate the critical shortage but also for the chance to win tickets to Super Bowl LVIII, adding a unique incentive to this vital cause.
