Summer blood drives set for Coachella Valley

Desert Blood Services will hold several blood drives over the next 10 days in the Coachella Valley, starting today.

Today’s drive runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Indio Teen Center, 81678 Avenue 46.

It’s part of the Nine Cities Blood Drive Challenge, in which Coachella Valley cities compete to collect the most blood donations.

Here is the rest of the scheduled:

— Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Walgreens, 14001 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs;

— Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. at Desert IMAX Theatre, 68-510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City;

— July 16, noon to 6 p.m. at the city of Rancho Mirage, 69-825 Highway 111. This drive is part of the Nine Cities Blood Drive Challenge;

— July 18, 1 to 5 p.m. at Mario’s Italian Cafe, 42-104 Washington St., Bermuda Dunes. Donors get a free pizza from Mario’s; and

— July 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Palm Desert High School, 74910 Aztec Road. This drive is part of the Nine Cities Blood Drive Challenge.

All donors at Drive Challenge events receive a T-shirt, and can enter to win a gift basket. Donors at all drives get free cholesterol screenings and physicals.

Healthy people at least 15 years old can give blood, but those 15 and 16 years old must provide written parental consent.

Photo identification is required, and all donors should eat and be well-hydrated before arriving, according to Desert Blood Services.

For more information, call (760) 777-8844 or go to http://www.desertbloodservices.org.