Red Cross and Green Bay Packers bring hope to patients in need

This summer you can be the Missing Type by giving back on Aug. 28  

GREEN BAY, Wis. (August 1, 2018) – “The _meric_n Red Cr_ss says “G_ P_ck G_!” We need help to bring back the A’s, B’s and O’s. This is not a typo. These letters represent blood types, and the reality is that during blood shortages these letters do go missing from hospital shelves. The American Red Cross urges donors of all blood types to give now, roll up a sleeve and help ensure patients in the Green Bay area and across the country have the blood products they need.

Join the American Red Cross for the Green Bay Packers Give Back Community Blood Drive Tuesday, Aug. 28 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Lambeau Field, Legend’s Club, located at 1265 Lombardi Ave. Suggested entry points are the American Family Insurance Gate, Miller Lite Gate or Oneida Nation Gate. Free parking will be available.  

This blood drive comes as the Red Cross faces an emergency blood shortage and is issuing an urgent call for blood and platelet donors to give now. Blood products are currently being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in. More donations are immediately needed to help replenish the blood supply. In thanks, all those who come to donate blood or platelets July 30 through Aug. 30, 2018, will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)

This is the largest single day blood drive in Green Bay with a goal to collect 440 pints of blood for hospital patients in need.  As a thank you, all presenting donors will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win a great Packers prize and receive a free giveaway item, while supplies last.

The Packers Give Back Blood Drive comes at an important time for the Red Cross. Summer blood shortages are not uncommon, but they can be prevented when generous volunteers roll up their sleeves to stock the shelves.

“Patients don’t get a summer holiday or vacation from needing blood. The need is constant,” said Laura McGuire, external communications manager for the American Red Cross Badger-Hawkeye Blood Services Region. “We appreciate the Packers and the community for supporting our lifesaving mission and helping to make sure hospitals are ready to respond to patient needs.”

The Red Cross urges those who have never given blood before – as well as those who haven’t given recently – to make an appointment and help sustain a sufficient community blood supply this summer. Cancer patients, trauma victims, surgery patients and others continue to need lifesaving blood and they are relying on the generosity of volunteer donors to help give them hope. Blood donors of all types are needed. There is no substitute for donated blood products.

In addition to giving blood, those who wish to register to be a bone marrow donor can do so at this blood drive with no cost through a simple cheek swab by DKMS. Participants can then be added to the national Be The Match Registry®, where doctors can search to find a matching donor for their patient.

How to donate blood:

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, from a computer or mobile device. 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,  CruzRojaAmericana.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.