BLOOD DRIVE ON WHEELS AT CAPE COURTHOUSE

The American Red Cross "blood drive on wheels" will be in Cape Girardeau today.

The agency's mobile unit, an 18-wheeler equipped to house blood drives, will be at the Common Pleas Courthouse steps on Spanish Street from noon to 6 for a blood drive sponsored by the Southeast Missourian and the Downtown Merchants Association.

David Palmer, coordinator of donor services for the Cape Girardeau office of the American Red Cross, said the unit includes four donor beds, assessment stations, storage areas and refreshment areas.

The mobile unit, making its first visit to Cape Girardeau, is geared toward making it more convenient for businesses to sponsor blood drives, Palmer said. A business might not have room within its physical plant for a blood drive, but the mobile unit can set up almost anywhere.