The community is invited to help hospital patients in need and celebrate the Atlanta Braves inaugural season at SunTrust Park. The Braves All-American blood drive will be held three days in June with the American Red Cross and co-sponsors 680 The Fan, WSB-TV and News Radio 106.7.
Donors will have an opportunity to give Saturday, June 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at SunTrust Park in the Konica Minolta Conference Center, 755 Battery Ave. SE, Atlanta. Free parking will be available this day only in the Delta Deck.
If donors can’t make it to the ballpark, they can donate at a select Red Cross blood donation center Thursday, June 1 through Saturday, June 3:
3000 Old Alabama Road, Alpharetta and 3090 Premiere Parkway, Duluth
Thursday: noon to 7 p.m., Friday: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
3525-3527 Atlanta Highway, Athens
Thursday and Friday: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
1955 Monroe Drive NE, Atlanta
Thursday and Friday: noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
2145 Roswell Road Suite 250, Marietta
Thursday: noon to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Braves drive started in 2009 and has held the title of largest single day Red Cross blood drive in Georgia collecting a total of 3,543 pints of blood since its inception. It is held during the summer to help boost blood collections when vacations and other seasonal activities contribute to less availability for people to give blood.
“Patients don’t get a summer holiday or vacation from needing blood. The need is constant,” said Mario Sedlock, director of donor recruitment, Red Cross Southern Blood Services Region. “We appreciate the Braves, 680 The Fan, WSB-TV and News Radio 106.7 for supporting our lifesaving mission and helping to make sure hospitals are ready to respond to patient needs.”
Those who come to donate will receive:
The Red Cross must collect nearly 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day for patients in need. Blood is needed for many different reasons. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients, organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease may all need blood.
Those with types O, A negative and B negative blood are encouraged to make a Power Red donation. Power Red donors give a concentrated dose of red blood cells during a single donation, allowing them to maximize their impact. During this type of donation, red blood cells are separated from other blood components, and the plasma and platelets are safely and comfortably returned to the donor.
How to donate blood
For more information and to make an appointment to donate, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors of all blood types are needed. 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 (16 with parental consent in some states), 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 donors can now 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, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.
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.
About Atlanta Braves
Based in Atlanta since 1966, the Braves are the longest continuously operating franchise in Major League Baseball. Since 1991, Braves teams have earned two National League wild cards, 15 division championships, five National League pennants, and a World Series title. Atlanta Braves games are telecast on Fox Sports South and Fox Sports Southeast. Radio broadcasts can be heard in Atlanta on 680 the Fan (AM), WYAY-FM (106.7) and regionally on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network. Follow the Braves at braves.com, facebook.com/braves and twitter.com/braves.
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