Lawrence resident Sherry Manley gives blood during a drive in September 2009 at a Lawrence church. The Community Blood Center, which supplies blood to 73 hospitals in Missouri and Kansas, including Lawrence Memorial Hospital, is encouraging people to donate.

Way to go, Lawrence!

Appointments were quickly filled for Friday’s blood drive after today’s Journal-World story about the Community Blood Center’s critical shortage.

Appointments are now available from noon to 2 p.m. at the Douglas County Employees Emergency Management Conference Room, 111 E. 11th St.

To sign up, click on esavealifenow.org.

The center is seeing an uptick in the region, but isn’t caught up to where it needs to be to supply 73 hospitals in Missouri and Kansas.

“It does take a lot of people to make a difference and to make sure we get that blood supply back up to at least a two-day level at the very minimum. Hopefully, the weather will hold out for us and we won’t have any more blizzards for the rest of the winter.”

— Stann Tate, marketing director

Here’s a list of other upcoming area drives:

• Sunday, Jan. 17, from noon to 4 p.m., Stull United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 251 N. 1600 Road.

• Wednesday, Jan. 27, from noon to 5 p.m., Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints gym, 3655 W. 10th St.

• Wednesday, Feb. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Pinnacle Career Institute massage therapy room, 1601 W. 23rd St., Suite 200.