Media release from Blood Assurance:
Local hospitals are using blood faster than donations are coming in. That’s why Blood Assurance is offering $40 e-gift cards to all donors who give between June 29 and July 7.
The call for donors comes as the July Fourth holiday approaches, a time when hospitals must be ready for trauma patients while blood donations are often slow because of travel, vacations and holiday plans.
Blood Assurance needs donors of all blood types. The nonprofit has had several recent days with less than a one-day supply of blood, platelets and plasma. A two- to three-day supply is needed to more comfortably meet the needs of local hospitals and patients. Blood Assurance is the primary supplier for both Atrium Health Floyd and AdventHealth Redmond, so donations help local patients.
Donors will be able to choose their e-gift card from a list of participating retailers, including gas stations and grocery stores.
Eligible type O donors can earn even more through Blood Assurance’s Hero Club, including a $50 gift card for double red cell donations. That means O donors could receive up to $90 for one double red cell donation during the June 29-July 7 promotion.
O-negative blood can be used for emergency transfusions when there is no time to determine a patient’s blood type, and O-positive blood is the most common blood type and is heavily used by hospitals. Donors must sign up for the Hero Club at bloodassurance.org/blood-donation-education/types-of-donations/hero-club/.
After July 7, donors will receive a $25 e-gift card for donating.
Donors can schedule an appointment at bloodassurance.org, call 800-962-0628, or text BAGIVE to 999777.
To be eligible to donate, individuals must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. Donors are asked to eat a hearty meal and drink plenty of water before donating.
About Blood Assurance
Blood Assurance is a nonprofit, full-service regional blood center serving more than 70 health care facilities in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and North Carolina. Founded in 1972 as a joint effort of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society, the Chattanooga Area Hospital Council and the Chattanooga Jaycees, the mission of Blood Assurance is to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood components to every area patient in need.
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