The City of Florence and Hoxworth Blood Center are teaming up for a community blood drive on August 6 at the Florence Government Center, 8100 Ewing Blvd.

The drive comes as the region faces a summer blood shortage. Hoxworth, which supplies blood to 31 hospitals across Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana from its seven donor centers, issued an urgent call for O-type donors in a LinkedIn post this summer, saying local patients are counting on lifesaving blood donations to keep community hospitals stocked. The American Red Cross separately declared an emergency blood shortage after the national supply fell nearly 25% in June.

Hoxworth, founded in 1938 as part of the University of Cincinnati, collects more than 90,000 units of blood annually from local donors and runs mobile drives at community sites like the Florence Government Center.

The city announced the partnership on its official X account on July 22, noting that appointments are strongly encouraged.

Maryanne Treasure, a Union resident, was featured as Hoxworth's "Donor of the Week" by WKRC Local 12 on July 15, for stepping up during the summer shortage. Blood donations tend to drop in summer as school drives end and donors' schedules fill up, Local 12 reported.

How to book

Donors can reserve a spot at Hoxworth.org or by calling (513) 451-0910. Drive hours have not been announced; check the city's website for updates.