The Mundelein Fire Department hosted its first blood drive of the year Saturday and saw more than 70 pints of blood donated.
Hosted at the department’s Station No. 1, officials said the 74 pints given represented a strong turnout. Chief Bill Lark said the fire department expects those kinds of numbers.
“We usually get a very good turnout for our blood drives,” he said. “The community responds very well.”
Of the haul, 62 of them were pints of whole blood. The rest, split between six donors, were given through the ALYX Machine, which is a special process for collecting blood, Lark said.
Those who gave included seven first-time donors. The majority of the blood collected, 41 pints, were type O blood, which Lark said he thought was interesting. Lark said they don’t keep specific track of where those who donate are from, but he expects it is mostly contained to Mundelein and other nearby communities in Lake County.
The Mundelein Fire Department hosts its drives through Vitalant, and have held them for “well over 10 years,” Lark said. He added that even with the coronavirus, officials haven’t seen a decline in donations.
Lark said to the best of his knowledge, blood is always in high demand, while the supply can fluctuate. He said as a result, officials try to center their drives around the holidays in hopes that people will be more able to donate.
“Blood banks seem to be always low,” Lark said. “(Donating) is important, and it’s vital to the lifesaving process.”
Mayor Steve Lentz told Pioneer Press he was able to attend the drive Saturday and was pleased at how busy it was. He and Lark both thanked the Mundelein Community Emergency Response Team for volunteering.
“Giving blood not only helps an eventual recipient, but is very healthy for the donor as well,” he said.
Every year, the fire departments hosts between five and six blood drives. The remaining blood drives for the year will be April 2, July 2, Sept. 3 and Dec. 17, Lark said.