As local hospitals begin to ramp up their operations, the blood supply must increase as well. Sporting Kansas City and Community Blood Center (CBC) are teaming up to host a blood drive at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, May 18.
The blood drive will take place inside the Budweiser Brew House, located in the northeast corner of the stadium at the intersection of France Family Drive and Village West Parkway, and will be conducted in accordance with CBC protocols for social distancing and public health guidelines. Donors are required to wear a mask throughout their donation and CBC staff will also be wearing masks while taking extra precautions to maintain safe and sanitary conditions.
Appointments are required to donate; walk-ins will not be accepted at this time. Healthy blood donors wishing to participate can make an appointment online at savealifenow.org/group and enter Group Code: CB8D or call 1-877-468-6844. Appointments can also be made at other mobile drives in the area or one of CBC’s seven donor centers across Kansas and Missouri.
Monday’s blood drive is being held in response to the Community Blood Center’s urgent call for healthy blood donors. As the Kansas City region begins to reopen and hospitals anticipate the return of elective surgeries, the need for blood has rebounded to pre-COVID-19 levels however the blood supply is dangerously low.
“The blood supply is a critical part of our healthcare system. It is imperative for healthy individuals to come in and donate blood so that it’s available to those in need,” said Kim Peck, Senior Executive Director of Community Blood Center. “At this unprecedented time, this is one thing you can do to help someone who desperately needs it. We have extended hours at our donor centers and we’re encouraging donors to schedule an appointment to visit one of these controlled, safe environments.”
The blood drive at Children’s Mercy Park is the latest initiative in conjunction with Sporting Serves, a newly established philanthropic platform in which Sporting Kansas City and the club’s flagship charitable arm, The Victory Project, are united with community partners to provide relief to citizens across the metropolitan area. Sporting Serves has launched several programs specifically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including Sporting Community Kitchen to provide 1,000 free meals a day for families in need.
About Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City (CBC)
Community Blood Center, now part of the NYBC family, serves hospitals in the Kansas City metropolitan area, as well as eastern Kansas and western Missouri. CBC provides nearly 200,000 blood products per year to approximately 65 area hospitals – and calls upon about 580 donors each day to meet the need for a life-saving gift of blood. The blood center makes timely deliveries of safe, high-quality products to meet transfusion needs, for routine care and emergencies. For more information, visit http://www.savealifenow.org/.
