With summer right around the corner, the American Red Cross asks eligible donors to make giving blood as much a part of their summer plans as barbecues, ball games and road trips. Donors of all blood types are needed. Please join us at the Immanuel Lutheran Church at Iowa and Bob Billings Parkway on Thursday anytime from noon to 6 p.m. to give the gift of life.

Blood donations often decline during the summer when schools are out of session and families are vacationing, but the need for blood is constant. Eligible donors are encouraged to make an appointment now to roll up a sleeve and give patients a chance for hope this summer and throughout the year.

The Red Cross provides blood to approximately 2,700 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. Each day, the Red Cross must collect about 15,000 blood donations to meet the needs of patients at these facilities.

To make an appointment to donate blood, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS. Walk-in donors are also welcome.

— The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. For more information, visit www.redcross.org, or contact Executive Director Jane Blocher at 785-843-3550 or Jane.Blocher@redcross.org