It was hard to say if it was the lure of a free Summerfest or State Fair ticket, or the generosity of the community in responding to a nationwide summer blood shortage, but the wait was long at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin's open drive at State Fair Park on Tuesday.

Walking into the Agricultural Products Pavilion where the event was being held at around 3 p.m., donors without appointments were told that the overall time it would take for their appointment would be two hours because of the number of people who had come in to give blood.

To accommodate the demand, the option for three additional drives was given, and each will offer free tickets for Summerfest or the Wisconsin State Fair. The BloodCenter is urging interested donors to call first to make an appointment to ensure they can be taken care of in a timely manner.

The additional 'Declaration for Donations' drives will be held:

Monday, July 2 - 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Alverno College Rotunda Conference Center
3400 S. 43rd Street, Milwaukee

Tuesday, July 3 - 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Jewish Community Center, Marcus Pavilion
6225 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay

Thursday, July 5 - 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Knights of Columbus
1800 S. 92nd Street, West Allis

Call 877-BE-A-HERO or visit www.bcw.edu to make an appointment.