Vernon Hills mall to hold 12-hour blood drive

The holiday season is considered by many to be the most wonderful time of the year, but for those in need of blood transfusions, bone marrow transplants, or receiving treatment for cancer or other life-threatening illnesses, it can be the most worrisome time of the year.

Because the number of blood donations between Thanksgiving and Christmas traditionally dip to low levels on a national scale, it's important that those who are eligible make an appointment to donate blood in order to ensure that area hospitals have an adequate supply on hand.

Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills is doing its part by hosting its third annual "12 Hours of Giving" blood drive with Vitalant (formerly LifeSource), from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21.

To schedule an appointment, visit vitalant.org, log in, scroll down to search by Group Code 179B or call (877) 258-4825.

In addition to blood donations, participants will be able to join the national bone marrow registry, Be the Match.

All presenting donors will receive a special edition Vitalant holiday themed T-shirt and will be entered into a raffle drawing featuring prizes from various mall stores. 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) and is both safe and comfortable.