Heritage Sierra Medical Group, or HSMG, a primary care practice, is hosting a blood drive in Valencia on Thursday after the Red Cross made an appeal for blood donations due to a shortage.
“Part of our mission statement is that we will commit to giving back to all the communities that we serve,” said Ina Gelfound, marketing manager at HSMG. “We’re doing this because the Red Cross is in dire need. With all the flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters, they were suffering a severe blood shortage. It is a real, concrete way that we can measure what we’re doing in the community.”
Over the past few months, HSMG was able to schedule blood drives in each of its practice areas, including Palmdale, Lancaster and their third one here in Santa Clarita.
The two prior drives were successful in collecting enough blood to save more than 100 lives combined, and now, HSMG is asking local residents to donate blood to make their third drive just as successful, Gelfound said.
The event will be headed by the Red Cross, which will also do screenings to determine if participants are good candidates to donate, according to Gelfound.
The blood drive is scheduled 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, at the HSMG Valencia clinic located at 25775 McBean Parkway. The Red Cross Blood Mobile will be stationed on the campus of the Henry Mayo Outpatient Surgery Building.
For more information or to schedule an appointment to donate, call 661-362-8100.