LEXINGTON, Ky. – Everyone looks forward to summertime and all the fun it brings – school is out, vacations are planned and the world seems to slow down. What doesn’t slow down is the demand for blood at local hospitals, a fact complicated by donations being harder to come by when folks have summer activities on the brain. The scenario is coming into play heading into the holiday weekend as Kentucky Blood Center is facing a critical shortage of O- blood. 

KBC needs loyal lifesavers to step up this summer and wants to motivate that action with a chance to save money throughout the summer. To kick of its “Summer of Saving,” donors at all eight of KBC’s donor center locations on Friday, May 23 will receive a $20 Amazon gift card for rolling up their sleeves. In addition, all donors who give blood May 23– 31 will be entered to win free movie tickets for a year to a theater in the winner’s region. That giveaway is the first of four events this summer. 

KBC will continue to thank donors with gift cards and movie passes during the summer with to-be-announced “Donor Appreciation Days” to boost the blood supply during historically low-turnout periods. Of course, KBC will also feature its always-popular T-shirts as well.

“The old adage ‘Summertime and the livin’ is easy’ doesn’t ring true at blood centers across America,” said Mandy Brajuha, KBC’s vice president for external relations. “Blood donations drop across the country every summer, despite traumas increasing and blood demand remaining constant at local hospitals. KBC looks for creative ways to motivate donors each summer and this year is no different. With everything costing more these days, we hope the chance of saving big – money and lives – will bring donors out consistently over the summer months to ensure our local hospitals have the lifesaving products they need.”

Blood collected at KBC saves the lives of patients in Kentucky who require products for surgeries, diseases like cancer, traumas, organ transplants, premature births and so much more. Kentucky Blood Center, through the generous donation of blood from donors, provides lifesaving blood products to more than 70 hospitals in Kentucky.

Donor centers, listed below, are open throughout the week and each center’s hours can be found by clicking on the links below. KBC also hosts approximately 2,000 mobile drives a year in more than 90 counties. Interested donors can visit kybloodcenter.org or call 800.775.2522 to schedule an appointment. Mobile drive locations can be found at my.kybloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/county. Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome.

Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good general health, show a photo I.D. and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at kybloodcenter.org.