Joliet bank sponsors Route 66 blood drive at Rialto Theater

As a founder of the Red Cross Illinois River Valley Chapter in Romeoville, Jim Rolfe knew the importance of blood drives.

But Rolfe, senior vice president and corporate relations officer at Old National Bank, felt the value of those drives April 10 when a mass shooting occurred in Louisville, Kentucky.

“That happened at one of our branches,” Rolfe said. Five of his co-workers who were in that Louisville location were killed that day, he said. And the American Red Cross “stepped up big time to help the emergent situation in Louisville by providing 100 units of blood. And the thing we looked at as a bank was, ‘How do we recognize and remember our five individuals but help the community, too?’ And the American Red Cross came to mind,” Rolfe said.

Old National Bank is responding by sponsoring about 25 blood drives during July and August in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, Rolfe said. The goal is to collect a total of 200 units of blood from just the Illinois drives.

One of those blood drives is in Joliet. “The Blood Drive on Route 66″ will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. July 26 at the Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St., Joliet.

The Rialto is part of this annual event because it likes to help the community, said Kelly Urquidi, Rialto’s marketing and communication manager.

“And donating blood is a very simple and basic way that you can help out the community,” Urquidi said. “It’s just the simplest thing. But your small donation can help save someone’s life.”

[ 86-year-old Cleveland man stops in Red Cross Romeoville office as part of his U.S platelet donation tour ]

Brian McDaniel, executive director of the Illinois River Valley chapter, said the “Blood Drive on Route 66″ is the “signature blood drive in our chapter” and not just because the board of directors for the chapter is sponsoring the drive.

“It’s one of the largest single-day blood drives in our chapter,” McDaniel said. “The number of units we have collected have been over 100 in one day.”

McDaniel said the national blood supply dips in the summer and the holidays, so donations are really needed. He encouraged people to make an appointment.

“When the kids are in school and you have a family and business structure that has the normal ebb and flow going, we get really solid, consistent blood donations,” McDaniel said. “When we get into the holidays, when people travel around December, they dip down. Then when people begin to go on vacation when school ends, we begin to see donations go down. They come back around Labor Day.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Blood Drive on Route 66

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 26

WHERE: Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St. Joliet

INFO: To schedule an appointment and for information, visit redcross.org/give-blood.html.