KBC will kick off a summer of giveaways with Kings Island tickets for donors
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Between warm-weather activities, family vacations and no school, summer is an exciting time of year. For those very same reasons, it’s also a tough time of year for the blood supply. To ensure summer is safe and enjoyable for everyone, Kentucky Blood Center is urging donors to be proactive and donate.
As a thank you to donors who step up and save the summer, KBC will feature a number of giveaways, kicking off with Kings Island tickets at its eight donor centers. Kings Island tickets will be available at donor centers on the following dates:
- May 15-16: Beaumont and Andover (Lexington)
- May 22-23: Frankfort, Somerset and Tri-County (Corbin)
- June 5-6: Hillview and Middletown (Louisville) and Pikeville
Kings Island tickets are just the start of giveaways at KBC over the coming months. Kentucky Blood Center will thank donors with gift cards as well as movie passes during the summer with to-be-announced “Donor Appreciation Days” to boost the blood supply during historically low-turnout periods. Of course, KBC will also feature its always-popular T-shirts as well.
Donors will also have a special opportunity to give blood at Central Bank Center on June 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All donors who give blood at the Central Bank Center Blood Drive will receive a KBC T-shirt, a movie ticket at LexLive and be entered to win two tickets to upcoming concerts at Rupp Arena, including WWE Friday Night Smackdown on June 16, Thomas Rhett on June 22 and Guns N’ Roses on Sept. 6. More details and the appointment schedule for the Central Bank Center Blood Drive is available at kybloodcenter.org/central-bank-center-blood-drive.
“Although we’ve seen a modest increase in donors to start 2023 in comparison to the last few years, we still haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, which is worrisome entering the always-difficult summer months,” said Mandy Brajuha, vice president of external relations. “While the blood supply is currently in good shape, we tend to have to work harder in the summer to collect blood to serve local patients at hospitals throughout the state. Historically, an uptick in transfusions at any point in the summer can really put us in a tough position due to the drop off in donations. Blood must be on the shelves when need arises.”
Donation numbers historically dwindle during summer, but the need for blood doesn’t take a vacation. Donations at KBC in 2022 were down more than 12% from 2019, the last summer before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the same timeframe, transfusion frequency remains consistent, putting local lives at risk.
Blood collected at KBC saves the lives of patients in Kentucky who require products for surgeries, diseases like cancer, traumas, organ transplants, premature births and so much more. Kentucky Blood Center, through the generous donation of blood from donors, provides lifesaving blood products to more than 70 hospitals in Kentucky.
Donor centers, listed below, are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. KBC also hosts approximately 2,000 mobile drives a year in more than 90 counties. Interested donors can visit kybloodcenter.org or call 800.775.2522 to schedule an appointment. Mobile drive locations can be found at my.kybloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/county. Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome.
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health, show a photo I.D. and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at kybloodcenter.org.
