Jones Center blood drive to supply summer needs

The Jones Center in Springdale will host a blood drive to benefit American Red Cross Blood Services on Tuesday, May 21 from 2 to 7 p.m.

As the summer months approach there is often an imbalance between need and donations given that roughly 20% of the donor base are students.

"The Jones Center and other drives right now are needed to build up supplies for the coming summer months," said Alan Gibson, program director for the American Red Cross in Little Rock. "We are grateful for the Jones Center's efforts to help."

To spur interest on the drive’s short notice, the Jones Center is offering incentives for those who donate by giving away a free membership each hour during the drive. Any company who has five or more employees donate blood will be entered to win a complimentary 2-hour ice skating party for their office.

To minimize wait time during the drive, the American Red Cross is offering on-line registration. To sign up for blood donations go to www.redcrossblood.org and click on “make a blood donation appointment” then use the zip code 72764 to locate the Jones Center drive.  Follow the prompts from there to complete your online signup.

The Jones Center and Red Cross have a working relationship as the Red Cross Community Programs office of Northwest Arkansas is located at the Jones Center.