Given the importance of the need for blood donations during the pandemic, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company is holding a blood drive tomorrow, July 25th from 1 – 6 PM, in order to help patients in hospitals served by OneBlood, the local blood center. Every blood donor who successfully gives blood will be given a voucher for a beer at the brewery.
“We are happy to support the need for blood donations right now and this is our way of giving back to the community,” says Glenn Closson, founder of Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company. All blood donors must be 21 years old or older to receive the free craft beer blood donor incentive.
All donors receive a wellness checkup including blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse and cholesterol screening, plus a surprise gift. All blood donors will receive a COVID-19 antibody test authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the virus, regardless of whether they ever showed symptoms. Donors will be able to see their results approximately 48-96 hours after donating by logging into their donor portal at www.oneblood.org.
Please visit oneblood.org to make an appointment!
To learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type, visit oneblood.org or call 1.888.9DONATE (1.888.936.6283).
It is Safe to Donate Blood. The U.S. Surgeon General and the FDA have stated that it remains safe to donate blood and that it is safe to attend blood drives.
All blood centers are regulated by the FDA and must follow strict guidelines on how they operate. OneBlood meets all FDA guidelines and all team members follow strict safety protocols including:
- All OneBlood staff are required to wear masks.
- All blood donors are asked to wear a mask. If a blood donor does not have a mask, one will be supplied to the donor.
- All OneBlood phlebotomists wear medical gloves that are changed for each donation.
- Blood donors should follow the guidelines for wearing masks in the county where the blood drive is taking place.
- All donor-touched areas and equipment are disinfected after every donation. This includes, donor beds, registration tablets, blood-pressure cuff and hemoglobin sensors.
- A sterile collection set is used for every donation.
- Every donor receives a mini-physical that includes a temperature check to ensure donors are healthy and well on the day of donation.
- Only people who are healthy are eligible to donate blood.
Social Distancing at Blood Drives and Donor Centers
OneBlood has implemented additional social distancing safety protocols including:
- Blood Drives: Only a certain number of people will be permitted on the Big Red Bus at any one time. Donors will be asked to provide their cell phone number so they can wait in their car or outside the bloodmobile. They will be called when it is their turn to come aboard the bus to donate blood.
Generally healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. Photo ID is required. To learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type visit oneblood.org or call 1-888-9DONATE (1-888-936-6283).