To commemorate Juneteenth and raise sickle cell disease awareness, 8th District, Illinois State Representative, La Shawn K. Ford and 6th District, Cook County Board Commissioner, Donna Miller, have partnered to host a blood drive.
“Our family and friends who suffer from sickle cell disease need blood transfusions to stay alive and they need our recurring blood donations,” states Commissioner Miller. “State Representative Ford and I are calling on our African American community to be routine blood donors. Let’s raise awareness and inspire our friends and family to be blood donors, but also, let’s encourage our community to learn more about sickle cell disease and find out if they are a carrier. Learning if you have the sickle cell disease trait impacts generations to come.”
There are about 100,000 people in the United States with sickle cell diseases of whom 90 percent are of African descent. A close blood type match is essential and is found in donors of the same race or similar ethnicity. Please support in saving the sickle cell patients in our community. One donation saves approximately three lives.
WHAT: Blood Drive
HOSTED BY: La Shawn K. Ford, Illinois State Representative, 8th District
Donna Miller, Cook County Board Commissioner, 6th District
WHERE: DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl., Chicago, 60637
WHEN: Wednesday, June 15, 2022
TIME: 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
HOW: https://rcblood.org/3MiHZbf or visit www.redcrossblood.org to find an appointment
To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.
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