Church to hold blood drive Saturday

First Congregational Church of Dundee, in conjunction with Heartland Blood Centers, will be sponsor a blood drive from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in the lower level common area.

To maintain an adequate blood supply, Heartland Blood Centers, an independent blood center serving 35 hospitals in a 12-county region in Illinois and Indiana, urges all area residents to donate.

Every Heartland blood donor will receive coupons for two free quarts of Oberweis Ice Cream as a way of saying "thanks" for being a summertime blood donor.

"It only takes about an hour to help save someone's life. Donating blood is safe, simple and life-saving," said Ann McKanna, vice president of marketing and new business development. "Please remember that patients are solely relying on volunteer blood donors, like you, for their transfusion needs."

Founded in 1943, Heartland Blood Centers' mission is to provide and maintain an adequate supply of blood and blood products for area hospitals to draw upon to meet the needs of patients. For more information, call (800) 7-TO-GIVE or visit www.heartlandbc.org.

To be a blood donor, individuals must be at least 17 years old or 16 with written parental permission; weigh at least 110 pounds; be symptom free of cold, flu and allergies and be in general good health. Donors who have traveled outside the United States within the past 12 months should contact Heartland to determine eligibility. Donors are required to bring a photo ID. To schedule an appointment, call Londa Krueger at (847) 428-8211. Walk-ins are welcome.

First Congregational Church is at 900 S. Eighth St., West Dundee. For more information, call the church at (847) 426-2161, ext. 210.