Florida City Week: Blood Drive!

SunCoast Blood Centers, the nonprofit that describes itself as the only local supplier of blood to medical centers in Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, brings a collection drive to Longboat Key Town Hall as the town's closing contribution to Florida City Week. Hospitals it supplies include Sarasota Memorial, Manatee Memorial and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Residents, island employees and business owners are all invited to donate. At earlier town drives the center parked its "Blood Vessel" bus outside Town Hall, and one summer drive there collected 13 units, which the center counted as enough to help as many as 39 patients.