Leader readers have an opportunity to start the new year off right by potentially saving lives.
Leader Publications has partnered with ImpactLife to host the newspaper’s first-ever community blood drive on Friday, Jan. 5.
“The Leader wanted to host a blood drive to raise awareness about the importance of blood donations and give back to people in the community,” said Katelyn Mary Skaggs, digital marketing manager. “We have major hospitals in the communities we serve, and we know how lifesaving blood donations can be.”
There are two locations to donate:
■ The ImpactLife donor bus outside the Leader Publications office, 503 N. Second St., in Festus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To schedule an appointment there, visit bit.ly/leaderpubdrive or call 800-747-5401.
■ The ImpactLife Donor Center, 1726 Missouri State Road, in Arnold from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments there may be made through Pat Dillon at pdillon@impactlife.org or call 636-575-5099.
The donation process takes about an hour; each donor has the potential to save up to three lives.
“Our goal is to help the community that we live and work in,” Skaggs said. “We would love to book every single appointment. However, we know that even one donation can help in a big way.”
Each donor will receive a free “I Love the Leader Newspaper” T-shirt. Shirts come in sizes small to 3X.
Formerly known as Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, ImpactLife provides blood to more than 125 hospitals in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. For information, visit bloodcenter.org.