Sweet retreat

If you roll up your sleeve and donate blood on Saturday 6 at Sacred Art gallery in Roscoe Village, your i donated blood sticker will get you a lot more than a pat on the back. About 25 neighborhood businesses are donating free or discounted goods, like a free cookie from Rudy’s Bakery, 20 percent off products at Big Hair and 15 percent off sweets at Suckers.

Sacred Art owner Sarah Seyedin decided to organize the event in memory of an artist friend, Cheryl Weaver, who died from a cancerous blood disease last November. “She told her fiancee that she wanted her friends to give blood,” recalls Seyedin, who points out that she now has the space and the resourc-es since opening the store in February—a move inspired by her friend Cheryl, who would have celebrated her 39th birthday on Sunday 7.

“She was always creating art, but could never get ahead,” Seyedin says. “I thought there should be a place where Chicago artists could just drop their stuff off—[Sacred Art] is more of a consignment shop for artists than a gallery.”

LifeSource technicians will be on hand on Saturday 6 from 11am to 5pm outside Sacred Art (2040 West Roscoe St, 773-404-8790). You can also lend a hand by purchasing art from the donation wall at the store in May—proceeds go to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. Normally, on the first Saturday of the month, the store offers shoppers “adult beverages,” but in light of the blood drive, Seyedin says, “we’ll be having juice.” But your sticker will score you a free draft beer from nearby Riverview Tavern and Village Tap.—Leah Pietrusiak