Honor police in Iowa by giving blood on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

MASON CITY — Law Enforcement Appreciation Day is this week and seven Iowa offices of LifeServe Blood Center, including the Mason City office, will be taking blood donations from supporters of the men and women in blue.

Shay Willis, spokeswoman for LifeServe, says the Blue Blood Drive is Wednesday and it’ll feature some great swag and appropriate after-donation treats. “We have a super-cool t-shirt that all of our donors will receive,” Willis says, “and we will be giving away donuts in our canteen as part of our refreshments that day, thanks to some generous donors.”

The event is being co-sponsored by Iowa COPS, Concerns of Police Survivors, which assists surviving families and affected co-workers of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Donors with all blood types are welcome as blood demands change from day to day. “If you go to LifeServeBloodCenter.org, we update that every single day and we tell visitors how many days worth of a blood supply we have,” Willis says. “We also tell visitors to that website what types of blood we need.”.

Donating one pint of blood may help to save as many as three lives. Willis says it usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour to give blood. “If you’ve never donated blood, the actual donation process should take just a few minutes,” Willis says. “What some people don’t always understand is that you have to answer some questions. We have to make sure it’s safe for you to give but that it’s also for us to make sure what you give is safe to provide to a patient in need.”

The Mason City blood drive event will take place Wednesday at their center located at 4700 4th Southwest from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. LifeServe is the sole provider of blood to more than 120 hospitals in Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska.

To schedule an appointment, call 800-287-4903 or you can click here to register