A series of blood drives will soon be held in our area, and the American Red Cross is encouraging anyone who is eligible to donate.

Blood drives will be held at the Manton United Methodist Church from 11:45am until 5:30pm on July 23 and at St. Ann’s Catholic church in Cadillac from 1pm until 6:45pm on August 9 and from 11:15am until 5pm on August 10.

The American Red Cross said while they’ve had great response to recent blood drives, there’s always a need for additional blood.

“The summer is a difficult time for blood collections and we depend on our generous donors to help us maintain a healthy blood supply,” said Sharon Jaksa, CEO for the Great Lakes Region of the American Red Cross.

According to the Red Cross, there’s always a need for blood during the summer, though potential donors sometimes prioritize other activities over blood donation. The organization said that taking the time to make an appointment to donate blood could save life.

For more information on upcoming blood drives or the American Red Cross as a whole, you can log on to RedCrossBlood.org.