Pints For Play is back!
Thursday, November 18th from 6am-6pm we're back in front of Target at The District at UTC or donate at any of the 4 locations listed below.
In appreciation for your donation, you’ll get a “Play” or “Plug” from David Jones & Meredith Michaels – your requested song played on 107.9 WSRZ that morning, or a free plug for your favorite local business or charity.
All donors will also receive a free turkey voucher courtesy of Butterball and a limited edition t-shirt courtesy of our friends at Badger Bob’s Services (while supplies last).
This is your chance to help put the “giving” in the Thanksgiving and holiday season during Suncoast Blood Centers’ biggest blood drive of the year. Just 30 minutes to donate blood can help save up to 3 lives.
SunCoast Blood Centers – Live Here. Give Here. Save Here.
Learn more here
Special thanks to our friends at Badger Bobs!
6am-10am: all donors will also get a free “plug” or “play” with David Jones & Meredith Michaels on 107.9 WSRZ – a live 30-second announcement about your favorite local business or charity, or a song request played on the air!
11am-1pm: stop by the Target Plaza location to donate, and enjoy free lunch from Blaze Pizza!
4pm-6pm: drop on by the Target Plaza on your way home from work to donate, and say hi to Kevin Rush from WSRZ!
Donate at the Target Plaza location across from the Mall at UTC, or visit the Suncoast Blood Centers location closest to you. You can call 866-97-BLOOD or visit www.SuncoastBlood.org to schedule an appointment ahead of time, or just stop by:
Lakewood Ranch, just behind Crowder’s Ace Hardware. 3025 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Suite 111, Bradenton FL 34211
Downtown Sarasota, across from PF Chang’s. 1760 Mound St., Sarasota FL 34236
Venice, in Bird Bay Plaza. 539 US Hwy 41 Bypass, Venice FL 34285
Bradenton, in Bayshore Shopping Center next to Publix. 6026 14th St. W., Bradenton FL 34207
SUNCOAST BLOOD CENTERS:
The only blood center exclusively serving patients and hospitals here in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte & DeSoto Counties, along with Tampa’s Moffitt Cancer Center.
The only blood center providing exclusive “Donate-at-Home” service, where we bring the donation center right to you! Smaller mobile units allow a personal and individualized donation experience, right from the convenience of your driveway.
The only blood center that offers complimentary COVID-19 antibody testing, which screens for the presence of antibodies whether from natural exposure or from a vaccine. This test normally costs $80 and we offer it without charge to our donors.
Designed with your comfort and safety in mind. We continue to follow CDC guidelines by practicing social distancing; mask wearing for all staff (optional for donors), along with sterilizing all donor touch points before and after each donor.
SUNCOAST BLOODS CENTERS wants you to know that there’s an URGENT need for platelets here along the Suncoast:
Platelets aid in the clotting process and are critical in the treatment of cancer patients, trauma victims, surgical patients, and certain blood disorders.
Thousands of patients in our community, ranging from newborn babies to seniors, require platelets every year.
A cancer patient can use one to three units of platelets per day while undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
Platelets are only viable for five days, so we need more donors to replenish them at our area hospitals.
Platelet donors can give more often (up to 24 times per year) because their red blood cells are returned to them during the donation process.
MORE THAN JUST A BLOOD BANK!
Leader in the industry to provide pathogen reduce platelets in the country.
First blood center in US to provide pathogen-reduced Platelets to a hospital.
Safest platelet product in the world and we offer it here in our area and to our community.
Research Opportunities: we partner with bio-research firms to advance medical studies and clinical trials.
Support recovery from natural disasters like hurricanes, meeting local needs first, and supporting other blood banks around the country. For example, in 2017 when hurricane Harvey hit Texas, we were the first blood bank to respond by adding additional drives and shipped more than 300 blood products before the hurricane made landfall. Two weeks after, we received help back with Hurricane Irma.
DID YOU KNOW?
SURPRISING HEALTH BENEFITS OF DONATING BLOOD OR PLATELETS: Donating blood is a win-win for everyone involved. Receivers get a vital substance and donors get to burn calories, lower their risk of cancer, and keep their heart healthy. All this while laying back and taking a relaxing 45-60 minutes to do a good deed and save lives!
GIVING BLOOD CAN REVEAL POTENTIAL HEALTH PROBLEMS: While it is not the same thing as a trip to the doctor, donating blood can be another way to keep an eye on your cardiovascular health. You will receive a mini-physical prior to the blood draw, in which someone will check your pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, hemoglobin and more. This can sometimes shed light on issues you did not even know about.
GIVING BLOOD MAY LOWER YOUR RISK OF SUFFERING A HEART ATTACK: Donating blood at least once a year could reduce your risk of a heart attack by 88%, according to a study conducted by the American Journal of Epidemiology. High levels of iron in the blood constrict your blood vessels and create more risk of a heart attack, depleting those extra iron deposits by donating blood gives your vessels more room to operate.
BURNING CALORIES: No, blood donation will not become a weight loss fad any time soon. However, researchers at the University of California, San Diego have found that you can lose up to 650 calories per pint of blood donated. That is not a bad deal for kicking back and doing a good deed.
PREVENTS HEMOCHROMATOSIS: Health benefits of blood donation include reduced risk of hemochromatosis. Hemochromatosis is a health condition that arises due to excess absorption of iron by the body.
ANTI-CANCER BENEFITS: Blood donation MAY help in lowering the risk of cancer. By donating blood, the iron stores in the body are maintained at healthy levels. A reduction in the iron level in the body is linked with low cancer risk.
STIMULATES BLOOD CELL PRODUCTION: After donating blood, the body works to replenish the blood loss. This stimulates the production of new blood cells and in turn, helps in maintaining good health.