Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Think back 50 years to 1974. Richard Nixon resigned, Hank Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth with his 715th home run, and one organization was getting its start saving lives through blood donation.

ImpactLife celebrated its golden anniversary Tuesday with a Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony at its administrative building on South 10th Street. Spokesman Kirby Winn said, “There’s no question that if there’s an injury, a cancer treatment or a surgery requiring blood, blood is going to be on the shelves and ready to transfuse to a patient.”

ImpactLife was established in 1974 through the merger of the Scott County and Rock Island County blood banks in Iowa and Illinois. The blood center merged with Central Illinois Community Blood Center, based in Springfield, in 2010 and Central Illinois Community Blood Center, based in Urbana, in 2011.

Springfield Memorial Hospital and HSHS St. John’s Hospital are among more than 120 hospitals in four states that receive blood from ImpactLife. The organization has also recently collaborated with other blood centers to help provide a stable blood supply to Houston after Hurricane Beryl.

Jim Watts, manager of Regional Development & Government Relations for ImpactLife, said the organization receives approximately 50% of its donations at its donor sites and the other 50% at blood drives. During the summer months, he said, donations are down without school blood drives.

Summer is also the start of trauma season, according to ImpactLife, and hospital emergency rooms and EMS providers annually see an increase in injury cases where blood is needed.

For more information on how to donate at the ImpactLife donor center at 1999 W. Wabash in Springfield or a local blood drive, go to bloodcenter.org.