By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – Summer means vacations and traveling, but it also means a dip in blood donations.

Spokesman Ben Corey said that drop is always more prominent during holidays.

“For example, the upcoming Independence Day holiday,” said Corey. “Right now, the Red Cross is encouraging all eligible donors to make an appointment to give in the days before and after the Independence Day holiday to help prevent a summer shortage.”

Corey added students being gone for the summer also brings down donations.

“With Illinois State being out of session, we hold a lot of blood drives there throughout the year, and students play a big part in helping ensure a sufficient blood supply,” said Corey. “We always encourage students, if they can’t donate on their campus during the summer that they find a blood drive in their home towns or somewhere in the area.

“It’s also important to note that a lot of hosting organizations, so organizations that would normally host blood drives – schools, businesses, other places – they’re postponing their regular blood drives because either schools are out of session or employees are on vacation.”

Local blood drives can be found at redcrossblood.org.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].