Blood Drive Aims To Stop National Shortage

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A blood drive being held by the Chicago branch of the American Red Cross looks to combat a nationwide shortage of blood donations.

Joy Squier, hief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Chicago and Northern Illinois Red Cross, explains why blood donations always severely slow down in the summer.

"People go on vacation and roughly 20-percent of our donations come in during the school year from college and high school students," Squier says. "Just a combination of those two things this summer has really caused a significant blood shortage."

The Red Cross estimates that nearly 14,000 donations are needed each day in order to supply blood to patients in 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide.

Thursday's drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the organization's regional headquarters at 2200 West Harrison Street.

Squier says many other drives will be held throughout the city this summer.