BALTIMORE, MD. (June 18, 2018) — As part of an international movement, the American Red Cross launches the Missing Types campaign to recruit new blood donors – and those who have not given recently – to ensure lifesaving blood is available for patients.
The Baltimore Orioles and the University of Mayland Medical Center have joined the movement. On August 4, the Orioles and the University of Maryland Medical Center will host their 10th annual blood drive. All presenting donors will receive 2 ticket vouchers to an Orioles Value or an Orioles Classic game. “We are grateful to the Orioles and the UMD Medical Center for parternering with the Red Cross in our lifesaving mission,” said Regina Boothe Bratton, External Communicaitons Manager for the Red Cross. “We rarely think about donating blood until someone we love needs it; but very two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.
In addition to the Orioles; the Red Sox, Yankees and Major League Baseball are parternering with the Red Cross in the Missing Types campaign. During the campaign, the letters A, B and O – the main blood groups – will disappear from brands, social media pages, signs and websites to illustrate the critical role every blood donor plays. When the letters A, B and O vanish from everyday life, the gaps are striking. And when A, B and O blood types are missing from hospital shelves, patient care could be impacted.
You are the #MissingType, Give at the 10th annual Orioles Blood Drive
Horseshoe Casino
1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
Saturday, August 4, 2018; 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
The Red Cross appreciates the support of its 18 lead partners who have joined the #MissingType campaign, including: Adobe, Anheuser-Busch, AvalonBay Communities, Inc., Domino’s, Dropbox, Google, IBM, Land O’Lakes, Inc., Mastercard, Nationwide, Neiman Marcus, the New York Yankees, Oreo, PayPal, Salesforce, State Farm®, Sunoco and U.S. Bank.
How to donate blood
Walk-ins are welcome. Appointments are encouraged. Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation,
before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at redcrossblood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.