Four area blood drives scheduled

Several Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center blood drives are scheduled in the area during February.

A blood drive is set from 3-6:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Activity Building. Donors who last gave blood on or before Dec. 24 are eligible to participate again. For appointments, call the Ottumwa Telerecruitment Department at 800-452-1097 or visit the website www.bloodcenterimpact.org.

Lockridge Fire and Rescue will host a blood drive from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Lockridge Senior Center. Donors who last gave blood on or before Dec. 24 are eligible to give again. For appointments, call the Joanna Millard at 319-931-2455.

Packwood Lions Club will host a blood drive from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Packwood Community Building. Donors who last gave blood on or before Dec. 25 are eligible to give again. For appointments, call Frosty Van Voorst at 319-695-3009.

A blood drive is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Jefferson County Health Center. Donors who last gave on or before Dec. 27 are eligible to give again. For appointments, call the Ottumwa Telerecruitment Department at 800-452-1097 or visit the website www.bloodcenterimpact.org.

Eligible donors must be at least 17 years of age ? or 16 with a signed parental permission form available at www.bloodcenter.org ? and weigh more than 110 pounds. A person with diabetes or controlled high blood pressure can be accepted as an eligible donor. A photo identification or Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center donor card is required to donate.

According to blood center officials, blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about 45-60 minutes.

The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center recently collected nearly 100 pints of blood at four blood drive events.

The mobile crew collected 31 pints Jan. 6 during a drive at the St. Mary Catholic Church; 41 pints Jan. 7 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Activity Center; 11 pints at Noah?s Ark Animal Foundation; and 16 pints at First National Bank in Fairfield.

The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center provides blood and blood components to more than 87 hospitals in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin, and is the exclusive provider of blood and blood components to Jefferson County Health Center in Fairfield and the Van Buren County Hospital in Keosauqua.