All LifeSouth employees will attend blood drives this week in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – LifeSouth Community Blood Centers are appealing to residents in Madison, Morgan and Limestone counties this week.

LifeSouth will conduct blood drives all over North Alabama at its donor centers and community sites on Jan. 3-5, community development coordinator Tamara Watts said.

As incentives to blood donors, LifeSouth will give each donor a free ticket to a local movie theater. All locations will offer fun activities for donors. Also, each donor will automatically be registered for a free PS4 Play Station video game system.

An emergency appeal for 0- blood type has been announced on the LifeSouth website (lifesouth.org).

“Each year, nearly 5 million Americans need a blood transfusion,” Watts said. “To meet our responsibility, we need to collect 266,000 blood donations a year. That’s 728 donors a day.”

Using the LifeSouth website, individuals can find the closest bloodmobile site by clicking the “Find Blood Drives” menu and “Bloodmobile Locator.”

In addition, all LifeSouth employees are participating in their “End-of-Year Challenge” on Dec. 31. “All district and corporate staff will go on a blood drive in Alabama, Georgia and Florida,” Watts said.

On Jan. 3, blood drives will be held at Walmart, U. S. 72, Madison, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Walgreen’s, 3120 Bob Wallace Ave., Huntsville, noon to 6 p.m.; and Decatur Mall, 1801 Beltline Road, noon to 6 p.m.

On Jan. 4, blood donors can visit the Phillips 66 store, 15 Hughes Road, Madison, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Walmart, 6140 University Drive, Huntsville, noon to 5 p.m.; Walmart, 330 Sutton Road, Owens Cross Roads, noon to 5 p.m.

On Jan. 5, blood drives will be held at Hometown Groceries, 608 S. Jefferson St., Athens, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Shoe Carnival, 6275 University Drive, Huntsville, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Star Market, 9020 Bailey Cove Road, Huntsville, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

LifeSouth’s address in Madison is 8190 Madison Blvd. Hours are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, call 256-533-8252, 888-795-2707 or visit lifesouth.org.