LAKEPORT, Calif. — A blood drive is planned in Lakeport on Wednesday, July 26.

The drive will take place from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at United Christian Parish, 745 N. Brush St.

Appointments can be scheduled here.

Vitalant, a nonprofit blood bank that provides blood and special services to patients in about 900 hospitals across the U.S., is putting out the call for donations in response to a blood supply emergency resulting from a 25% drop in donations since May.

Maintaining an adequate blood supply is critical to helping patients in their time of need.

An emergency blood shortage can be overcome when more people step up to give the gift of life. Every two seconds someone in the U.S. receives a blood transfusion.

Giving blood is safe and easy, and only takes about an hour to help save more than one life.

Other added benefits of donating blood are a mini-physical and full panel of tests each donor receives.

The mini-physical check of pulse, blood pressure, hemoglobin and cholesterol can be tracked with each visit in the donor’s secure and confidential online account.