With expected summertime blood shortage, donors invited to give in Rosemont

Vitalant, formerly LifeSource, will host a blood drive at its Rosemont regional headquarters Tuesday to deal with an expected summertime blood shortage.

Donors can walk in or sign up ahead of time for the blood drive, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 5505 Pearl St., next door to Impact Field. To schedule a donation, visit vitalant.org and use group code LSBD or call (877) 258-4825.

In preparation for their donation, donors are asked to eat well, stay hydrated and arrive with proper identification. The donation appointment takes about an hour, with the donation itself only around 10 minutes.

Vitalant expects a shortfall of nearly 8,500 blood donations the week of July 1 due to summertime activities and the July 4 holiday.