Give blood Feb. 14 at Northwest Community Healthcare

You can save lives by donating blood at the Northwest Community Healthcare Blood Drive from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, in the hospital's Mallard Room, 800 West Central Road in Arlington Heights.

Bring a primary form of ID (photo ID or donor card) or two secondary forms of ID and be sure to eat a healthy meal and drink an extra 16-ounce glass of water and/or fluids before the donation.

"Donating blood takes only a short amount of time - generally less than 15 minutes - but it truly saves lives," says Dr. Daniel Reaven, Northwest Community Healthcare emergency medicine physician.

"It's critical to bank enough blood at our hospital to provide quality health care for our entire patient population, many of whom will need transfusions for a variety of reasons, including emergent care and cancer treatment."

The American Red Cross offers the option of getting a Rapid Pass, which will save donors 15 minutes. Visit redcross.org/rapidpass for more information. You can also download the Blood Donor App, or call (800) RED CROSS to make an appointment.