MENDOTA – Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) will hold a blood drive from noon until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 15 at the Mendota Civic Center in Mendota.

Volunteer blood donors are invited to support the local blood supply by scheduling an appointment to give blood by calling the Community Health Services Department at (815) 539-1411 or schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org. MVRBC requires appointments to ensure adequate supplies and social distancing during the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19). Please bring a photo ID at the time of your donation.

Blood donations are often used to help treat patients with cancer, victims of trauma and patients undergoing major surgeries. All persons age 17 and up (or 16, with a signed parental permission form) who weigh at least 110 pounds and are in general good health meet the basic eligibility requirements for blood donation.

For more information on donor eligibility, call the Blood Center at (800) 747-5401 or visit www.bloodcenter.org/eligibility.

MVRBC is based in Davenport with regional operations in Urbana (Community Blood Services of Illinois) and Springfield (Central Illinois Community Blood Center). The Blood Center is the exclusive provider of blood and blood components to 95 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, including 11 of 13 OSF HealthCare facilities.