Free bus rides to the Rockton Community Blood Drive on Tuesday

The Rockton Community Blood Drive will be Tuesday at the Rockton American Legion Hall. And to help get people there, the Stateline Mass Transit District is partnering with Rock River Valley Blood Bank to offer free rides to any blood donor within the SMTD's service area [PDF] of Rockton, Roscoe, and South Beloit.

Blood supplies in our area have been critically low. The blood drive runs from 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm on Tuesday, October 4 2022 at the American Legion Banquet Hall, 221 W Main St., Rockton, IL.

Call SMTD 877-561-3330 to schedule your free ride. To schedule a time to donate, contact RRVBC at 815-965-8751 or sign up online.

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This blood drive is special, not just for the free bus ride, but because it offers two donation options. Besides whole blood, double red donations will also be accepted. A "double red" donor safely gives twice the amount of red cells at one time, which is the component that's most in-demand. 

In "double red" donations, an fascinating, automated process separates your red blood cells from the other blood components. Then the machine returns your plasma and platelets to you, safely and comfortably (pleasantly, actually).  Not everyone qualifies to be a "double red" donor (sometimes called a "power red" donor), but if you do, you can donate blood half as often while doing the same good. Donors must meet slightly higher weight/height and hemoglobin requirements, but they only need to come in every 112 days.

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