Blood drive, chili cook off Sunday at Elgin bar

Leo "Dog" Shales said he's been donating blood pretty much every eight weeks for 40 years after a stranger he met at a bar persuaded him to come along and donate with her.

Over the years, Shales has hosted blood drives at bars where he worked as manager, and now he's bringing the tradition to the Dutch Inn West in Elgin.

The event, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, will feature a coach bus from LifeSource parked outside the bar at 36W610 Foothill Road, just east of Randall Road.

"It's nice to do it around the holidays because they are always short on blood around the holidays," said Shales, the general manager of Dutch Inn West, which is also home to Hopp Stop BBQ.

The blood drive will be accompanied by a free chili cook-off Sunday, with entries judged during halftime of the Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles football game. There are 12 entries so far, but more can join in until noon Sunday, Shales said. The winner will get a $100 prize, with $75 and $50 for second and third place respectively, he said.

LifeSource is based in Rosemont and has 17 donor centers in Chicago and the suburbs. The agency has partnered with Shales and his business partner in the past, said its marketing lead Kathleen Meyer.

LifeSource does not recommend drinking alcohol before donating blood, but people won't be turned away unless they are visibly inebriated, Meyer said.

People should have a healthy meal before donating blood, and drink plenty of water before and after, Meyer said. "If you just lose a pint of liquid, you have to give yourself some time to recover from that," she said.

LifeSource has a stable supply of blood through the weekend, but it's great to stock up before the holidays, Meyer said. "Usually we are struggling to get people in the door, especially around the holidays," she said. "In winter, we see storms and there are spikes in car accidents, and more traumas in hospitals."

Shales said he's given blood at donation centers including the Red Cross, Heartland Blood Center and LifeSource, over the decades. "I'm not a saint," he said. "This is for all the bad things I do."