GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — With the need for blood rising even more after the holidays, the Grand Rapids Griffins and Versiti Blood Center of Michigan will once again team up to host a blood drive at Van Andel Arena, on Saturday, Jan. 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
All donations are by appointment, with a goal of 65 donors for this drive. Please click here or call 866-642-5663 to register.
As a reprise to their highly successful blood drive at the arena in June, the Griffins and Versiti are offering everyone who registers and attempts to donate a $10 e-gift card redeemable at 70 vendors, along with Griffins swag and a certificate for a free order of breadsticks or pizza puffs from Uccello’s. In addition, all successful donations will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies.
With coronavirus safety measures in place, all donors must wear a face covering. Social distancing is being practiced at all community blood drives and donation centers, and the temperature of all potential blood donors is being taken, as well as that of staff members. Also, Versiti has implemented increased cleaning and disinfecting procedures at all donor centers and mobile donation sites.
Versiti specifies a particular need for O negative and O positive blood types, and is seeking the generosity of healthy community donors to help ensure local hospitals have the necessary blood available.
“We need blood donations every day to help save lives,” said Dawn Kaiser, area vice president of Versiti Blood Center of Michigan. “We need to collect 560 pints a day to serve our more than 80 hospital partners throughout the state. This tends to be even more challenging during the holiday season, when donations are typically lower. We depend on the generosity of our communities to give the gift of live and donate blood at our drive with Griffins.”
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