State’s Attorney Glasgow teams up with Heartland Blood Centers to host second blood drive in downtown Joliet on July 13
June 7
JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow is again partnering with Heartland Blood Centers and local mom Jennifer Babec to host a community blood drive on July 13 at the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office in downtown Joliet.
State’s Attorney Glasgow and Joliet resident Jennifer Babec – whose young daughter required many blood transfusions during her successful battle against cancer – are working together to bring Heartland Blood Center’s mobile coaches to the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office at 121 N. Chicago St. from 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on July 13. The State’s Attorney’s Office is directly across the street from the historic Rialto Square Theatre.
This will mark the second blood drive for the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office. The first in March set a record for donations with Heartland reporting 154 people registering to donate.
The State’s Attorney is encouraging anyone who works in or plans to visit downtown Joliet to take roughly 30 minutes to donate blood on July 13. Appointments can be made by calling Jennifer Babec at (815) 325-4282 or by visiting Heartland Blood Centers online at www.heartlandbc.org. Walk-in donors also will be welcomed.
Country Station 98.3 WCCQ’s Carol McGowan also will be on hand for a live broadcast from the Blood Drive during the morning. In addition, Heartland volunteers will serve pulled pork sandwiches courtesy of Baby Back Blues BBQ of Plainfield. And every donor will receive a gift card for a free quart of Oberweis Dairy ice cream. In addition, a deluxe barbecue set will be raffled off to a lucky donor.
Blood donations drop signficantly during summer months due to vacations and summer closings of local high schools and colleges. An estimated 25 percent of Heartland’s blood supply comes from school blood drives. The July 13 drive will provide an opportunity to boost the local blood supply. Heartland is the sole provider of blood and blood products for Silver Cross Hospital and Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center.
The State’s Attorney is pleased to coordinate another drive with Jennifer Babec, who is the top volunteer coordinator for Heartland Blood Centers. Jennifer has been coordinating drives since 2008, shortly after her 5-year-old daughter, Taylor, was diagnosed with lymphoma. During Taylor’s three-year recovery, she required intensive chemotherapy treatments and 22 transfusions that would revive both her physical energy and her spirits.
Taylor is now 11-years-old, and her cancer is in remission. Jennifer, however, has continued to coordinate blood drives so there is an ample supply for other children who need life-saving transfusions.
“This remarkable mom has given so much back to our community as a way of saying thank you for the gift of her daughter’s health,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “I invite everyone who works in downtown Joliet or plans to visit on July 13 to drop by the State’s Attorney’s Office to make what very well could be a life-saving donation.”
For information on the July 13 blood drive or to schedule an appointment, call (815) 325-4282 or visit Heartland Blood Centers at www.heartlandbc.org.