"40 For Life Blood Drive" hopes to encourage blood donations

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) --- Blood centers and hospitals in Wisconsin have have put out a call for more blood donations because of the pandemic.

To encourage more donations, Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson and Versiti Blood Center held a "40 For Life Blood Drive" at the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center Saturday, Nov. 28.

The drive was to celebrate Johnson's 40th time donating blood. He has been an avid blood donor since high school.

Organizers say they frequently hold these drives in certain Milwaukee communities.

"We're really trying to accommodate our minority communities here in Milwaukee, which are really important because they give us those diverse units needed for our local patients in our southeastern Wisconsin hospitals," Lauren Sanders Flemming, Associate Account Representative for Versiti, said.

Organizers say they hold daily blood drives seven days a week.