There is always a higher demand for donated blood during the winter holidays, and that will only be heightened further this year by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This weekend, Fountain Hills will host one of its regular blood drives, and The Times is encouraging everyone able to sign up and help save some lives. The event will take place in the Community Center this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Please check out our coverage on page 1A of this week’s paper for information on setting up an appointment, or just drop by bloodhero.com and choose “Kiwanis” as the sponsor when setting up a time to donate.

As an added bonus, all donations will be tested for antibodies to COVID-19. It’s good information for a donor to have and will also aid doctors in better understanding the virus.