Kansas City area residents can help advance cancer research by participating in the third annual Biospecimen Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, May 13, at the University of Kansas Clinical Research Center, 4350 Shawnee Mission Parkway.

The KU Alumni Association and the Biospecimen Bank of the KU Cancer Center are organizing the event with help from the Alumni Association’s Greater Kansas City Area Network of alumni volunteers.

The event differs from other blood drives in that donors give only a small amount of blood — equivalent to the amount collected for a standard blood test. Researchers use the confidential blood samples to study the causes, prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancers and other diseases.

The first two Biospecimen Blood Drives already have helped advance research. In the past six months, KU Cancer Center researchers have published several articles citing medical advancements they have made thanks to the blood donations.

More information and event registration can be found here. Those who cannot participate May 13 but would like to donate can call the KU Cancer Center to make an appointment by calling 855- 211-1475.