There’s a scarcity of blood at many hospitals across the nation, however no scarcity of locations to roll up that sleeve and provides a pint.
Together with serving to save a life, donating blood can also be a great way to get free stuff like $10 present playing cards, seaside towels and film tickets. You could possibly additionally get the possibility to win a couple of thousand {dollars}, a trip or tickets to a giant recreation.
Blood financial institution Vitalant, which operates in 28 states, is citing a “blood emergency.”
“The blood provide for about 900 hospitals nationwide lately dipped to its lowest degree in a yr,” the nonprofit mentioned in a latest press launch.
One in seven individuals who go to the hospital want a blood transfusion together with accident victims in addition to folks battling most cancers, leukemia, sickle cell or power anemia.
Whereas highschool and faculty college students are the largest donors by age group, a lot of the blood donated for many years has been collected at office blood drives. With the transition to distant work office donations have taken a giant dive. Vitalant alone noticed a 50% lower in business-hosted blood drives final yr in comparison with 2019.
“Similar to our pantries want fixed restocking, so does the blood provide,” mentioned the American Purple Cross mentioned in a press release.
To draw donors, blood banks provide present playing cards, possibilities to win cash and even tickets to main sporting occasions.
Perks for Pints
Today you get much more than a T-shirt and a few peanut butter crackers while you donate. After all, for a lot of donors, understanding that one pint of blood can save three lives is sufficient. And it solely takes 45 minutes to donate.
With blood assortment organizations routinely giving out $20 value of present playing cards to Amazon, eating places and main retailers at blood drives, a pair who provides six occasions a yr can common $240 value of free stuff and save 36 lives.
For a household of 4 with children above 16 and sufficiently old to donate, that’s about $500 in present playing cards per yr and 72 lives saved.
“One time we went to Kohl’s and there was a blood drive within the parking zone,” mentioned Beverly Mattis of Wake Forest, N.C. “They gave us every a $20 Kohl’s present card so my daughter and I went in and did some purchasing afterward.”
You’ll be able to internet far more than $20 for giving blood relying on the promotion. Proper now, OneBlood, which serves Florida and elements of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, is providing a set of two tickets to see the Orlando Magic to anybody who donates.
Give blood via the Purple Cross March 1 to March 31 and also you’ll have a likelihood of profitable a $3,000 pay as you go Visa card. 5 might be given away. Everybody who provides will get a $10 Visa card.
Get the Perks of Being a Common Blood Donor
In case you register to be a blood donor with the blood assortment group in your space, you’ll obtain texts or emails with dates of upcoming blood drives and the perks. There are a lot of blood assortment organizations across the nation. Listed below are three of the largest, and tips on how to register:
Most individuals can donate each two months. There’s no requirement that you simply give a sure variety of occasions a yr, however there’s encouragement. Some blood banks provide a second present card of a better worth for those who give blood twice inside a sure interval.
OneBlood has a brand new Blood Donor Milestones Program that rewards repeat donors with factors towards merchandise and present playing cards as they obtain sure ranges of giving.
Together with present playing cards and tickets, many blood assortment teams additionally give out swag similar to seaside towels, fleece blankets, automobile shades and insulated water bottles.
Extra Perks for Donating Platelets
Platelets are small cells that cease bleeding by forming clots. Donated platelets are used for most cancers sufferers, transplants, burn sufferers and traumatic accidents.
When somebody donates platelets, a machine extracts them from complete blood then returns the remainder of the blood again to the donor. The method takes about three hours.
As a result of it takes longer than donating complete blood, usually extra perks are provided for individuals who give platelets, which might be donated each seven days. OneBlood has a massive provide ongoing: Donate platelets six occasions earlier than March 31 and you’ll gather $420 in egift playing cards, which can be utilized at most main retailers in addition to many smaller shops and eating places. Every time you donate, you get a egift card value extra money in addition to one value $20. You’ll be able to accrue $420 value of playing cards after six donations. That’s a great way to afford that new TV or purchase groceries for some time.
Vitalant can also be encouraging folks in sure areas to prepare a “platelet occasion” with associates the identical as they may host a celebration at their properties promoting Tupperware, jewellery or garments. An organizer can invite eight associates to a personal catered occasion at a group heart the place donors obtain present playing cards and different swag.
Arrange a Blood Drive and Win a Scholarship
Highschool blood drives are essential to supplying the nation’s hospitals with much-needed blood. About one-third of the blood collected nationwide comes from highschool college students.
Many grownup donors began as highschool children lining up within the gymnasium to do an excellent deed and get out of Algebra class. In most states, 17-year-olds can donate blood and 16-year-olds can provide with a dad or mum’s consent. They have to weigh not less than 110 kilos and be in typically good well being.
Blood assortment companies throughout the nation provide competitions for native excessive colleges.
The Purple Cross is providing present playing cards and the likelihood to win faculty scholarships value $1,000, $1,500 or $2,500 to highschool college students who manage blood drives in the summertime of 2023. The variety of pints collected determines the quantity of scholarship cash they may win in a drawing. However you positively get a present card value $50 or extra if the blood drive collects not less than 25 pints.
Together with the present playing cards and likelihood for a scholarship, organizing a blood drive exhibits management expertise and actually stands out on a resume for a job or faculty software.
Make Donating Blood, Scoring Reward Playing cards or Sport Tickets Simpler
Right here’s some information from the American Purple Cross to make your donation go smoother earlier than you even get to a donation web site. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two different types of identification are required at check-in.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their subsequent donation by utilizing RapidPass to finish their pre-donation studying and well being historical past questionnaire on-line, on the day of their donation, earlier than arriving on the blood drive. To get began, observe the directions on the positioning or obtain the Blood Donor App from the Apple Retailer or Google Play.
Veteran journalist Katherine Snow Smith is a former employees author at The Penny Hoarder. She covers methods to become profitable, lower your expenses and different matters. Her work has appeared within the Tampa Bay Occasions, Charlotte Enterprise Journal and Greenville (S.C.) Information
