In the spirit of the upcoming holiday and Black Friday shopping extravaganza, the Rock River Valley Blood Center is thrilled to announce its own version of a Give and Get Black Friday Blood Drive.

Whether recovering from a full Thanksgiving meal or in need of some down time after an early morning of shopping, individuals are encouraged to stop by the RRVBC Rockford and Freeport donor centers on Friday, Nov. 24 during regular donor center hours because there will be exciting giveaways and drawings all day long for donors including:

  • The first fifty donors of the day among all the sites will receive a pair of Ice Hogs tickets to an upcoming game.
  • All donors will be entered into a drawing to win tickets to a Northern Illinois University basketball game, a $75 gift card to Williams Tree Farm, and multiple drawings for gift cards to different businesses and restaurants.
  • Giveaways from local televisions stations WIFR, WTVO, and WREX.

“As the holiday season is a time for giving, we want all eligible community members to join us as we give back to our incredible donors this holiday season,” said Lisa Entrikin, CEO of RRVBC. “Every donation can make a difference in someone’s life during the holiday season, and we need your support to keep our shelves stocked.”

Below are the hours for each donor center location:

  • Downtown Donor Center: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (418 N. Longwood Street, Rockford)
  • Perryville Donor Center: 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (3065 North Perryville Road, Rockford)
  • Freeport Donor Center: 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (461 East South Street, Freeport)

Donating blood is simple, and one unit can save up to three lives. After registering, a donor care specialist will take the blood donor’s vitals (temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin) and donors must complete an eligibility questionnaire. Donors can sit back and relax during the donation itself, which lasts about 10 minutes, and will be provided refreshments after donating.

First-time donors must bring a photo ID. Individuals can donate a single unit (whole blood donation, the most common type) every 56 days.

Donors can make appointments online here, by calling 815-965-8751 or using the myRRVBC app. Walk-ins are also welcome.