Naperville North to host blood drive Dec. 27

To help with the ongoing need for blood donations during the coronavirus pandemic, the Naperville Park District is hosting donation opportunities at its Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center in partnership with Versiti Blood Center of Illinois.

To allow for plenty of space for social distancing, it will be held on the upper level of the community center, 305 W. Jackson Ave. in downtown Naperville.

New dates are being added each week and some of the blood drives at the community center are sponsored by other community groups, including churches.

Naperville North High School is hosting a blood drive at the community center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 27. The next Naperville Community Blood Drive will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2.

For the most up-to-date list of available blood donation dates and times, visit donate.illinois.versiti.org/donor/schedules/city and search for "Naperville." Click the "Schedule" link to view the location of the drive, as some that are listed by the church name are at the community center and some at the respective church building.

According to Sarah Horne from Versiti Blood Center, prospective donors should make an appointment to ensure social distancing guidelines can be followed. Appointments may be made in one of three ways: by calling 800-7TO-GIVE, visiting www.versiti.org/IL or by going on the Versiti Donor app.

Additionally, prospective donors are asked to visit www.versiti.org/home/coronavirus-information to learn about the steps Versiti staffers are taking to keep donors and themselves safe during the blood donation process.