Naperville Park District to host fall blood drives

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

The blood drives will take place in Community Hall, located on the upper level of the community center at 305 W. Jackson Avenue in Naperville, on the following dates:

• Sunday, Sept. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Sunday, Nov. 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Sunday, Dec. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

Additionally, prospective donors are asked to visit www.versiti.org/home/coronavirus-information to learn about the steps that Versiti staff are taking to keep donors and staff safe and healthy during the blood donation process. Masks are required and a distance of six feet between chairs in the waiting areas will be maintained.

The SARS COV-2 antibody test, aka COVID-19 Antibody Test (CAT), will be performed on all blood donations as part of Versiti's standard testing. This test does not diagnose whether a donor has a current COVID-19 infection.