The Rock River Valley Blood Center (RRVBC), the Rockford IceHogs, 96.7 The Eagle and Q98.5 will host the fourth annual ‘Out for Blood’ blood drive from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, April 7 at RRVBC’s Perryville and downtown donor centers in Rockford.
All donors will receive exclusive IceHogs giveaways including a t-shirt, drawstring bag, two tickets to an upcoming game (while supplies last) and have the chance to win a signed team hockey stick, and Blackhawks and Ice Hogs jerseys.
Hammy, the IceHogs mascot, will be making an appearance at the Perryville donor center and 96.7 The Eagle and Q98.5 will both do a live remote from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the downtown and Perryville donor centers.
“We are excited to be partnering with the Rockford IceHogs, 96.7 The Eagle and Q98.5 once again this year,” said Heidi Ognibene, RRVBC Chief Operating Officer. “We hope new donors, as well as our regular donors, take time out of their busy schedules to come and donate. It’s safe, it’s simple, and it saves lives.”
The event started in 2018 as a way for the Rockford IceHogs to give back to the community that supports them while they are on the ice. This year, the drive also will support the RRVBC’s initiative to recruit 7,000 new donors in 2023 to fill the local blood supply in honor of the organization’s 70th anniversary.
Community members are encouraged to schedule an appointment to donate blood if they never have before and return donors are encouraged to ask friends and family who have never donated before to give blood.
Donors can make appointments online at rrvbc.org or by calling 815-965-8751. Walk-ins will also be welcome.
Donating blood is simple. On the donation day, a donor care specialist will take the individual’s vitals (temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and hemoglobin), and each person must complete an eligibility questionnaire before they can sit back and relax while giving. The donation itself only lasts about 10 minutes. Refreshments await after donating.
First-time donors should bring a photo ID. Individuals can donate a single unit (whole blood donation, the most common type) every 56 days. Students can donate once they turn 16 years of age and must have signed parental consent.
About Rock River Valley Blood Center
The Rock River Valley Blood Center is your community blood center and is the only provider of blood products and services to Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton, Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside, Mercyhealth Hospital and Medical Center–Harvard, Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center-Janesville and Mercyhealth Hospital and Medical Center–Walworth, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, SwedishAmerican Hospital, SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center, SwedishAmerican Medical Center-Belvidere, Beloit Health System, Edgerton Hospital and Health Services, FHN-Freeport and Rochelle Community Hospital. The center has four convenient donor centers in Rockford, Belvidere, and Freeport and the ability to support up to three mobile drives a day. The Rock River Valley Blood Center ensures that the right blood type is available at the right time for local patients whose lives may depend on it. Patients and their families rely on individuals to provide life-giving red blood cells, plasma, and platelets through blood donation.
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