McLean County Times

Senate Republican Deputy Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) is urging potential blood donors in the Morris area to turn out for Friday's drive to help with the local and national shortage.

Rezin posted to her Facebook page about the drive.

Illinois State Senate Republican Deputy Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) in a pre-COVID photo | senatorrezin.com/

"The Morris Municipal Service Facility will be hosting a blood drive on Friday, January 21st from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.," Rezin said in her Wednesday, Jan. 12, Facebook post.

Rezin's post linked to an earlier Facebook post by the City of Morris announcing Friday's drive in the Community Room at the facility at 700 N. Division St.

"One pint of blood can save up to three lives," the city said. "Join us at our citywide blood drive on Friday, January 21, 2022. The Red Cross follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. Thorough safety protocols will be in place for this event."

Rezin has represented the 38th District since her appointment to the Illinois Senate in December 2010. She'd been elected to the Illinois House of Representatives the previous month and was appointed to the Senate to fill the seat of Gary G. Dahl, who had resigned. She was appointed Senate GOP Caucus leader in 2015 and was chosen as deputy leader in January of last year.

Illinois Senate District 38 includes Bureau, Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle, Livingston, Putnam and Will counties.

The American Red Cross has for months been reporting a "national blood crisis" and urging those who can to give.

"The Red Cross is experiencing the worst blood shortage in over a decade," the American Red Cross currently says on the landing page of its website. "The dangerously low blood supply levels have forced some hospitals to defer patients from major surgery, including organ transplants. Your donation is desperately needed."

The American Red Cross also issued a press release announcing that, for the first time, it was declaring a shortage following a 10% decline in the number of people donating blood since the pandemic began.

WTVO ABC 17 reported last week that doctors in Illinois are reserving blood in response to the nationwide shortage and they're making other tough choices.

"If you think about not having enough blood, or having to have a doctor and hospital have to choose or make decisions, it can be a very serious situation," American Red Cross of Illinois communications manager Holly Baker said in WTVO's Jan. 11 news story. "If it was my loved one, or my friend or me, I would want the blood to be there for me."