American Red Cross, Peyton Manning huddle up for a lifesaving play this January
In celebration of National Blood Donor Month, the Red Cross also partners with the NFL to offer those who come to give blood in January a chance to win a trip to Super Bowl LVII
The American Red Cross is teaming up with Pro Football Hall of Famer and blood donor Peyton Manning to encourage the public to come together this January to help patients in need of lifesaving blood products.
The start of the New Year is one of the most challenging times to collect blood products with icy winter weather and severe seasonal illness often causing donors to postpone giving.
Record-setting winter weather has canceled hundreds of blood drives in the last few weeks, forcing more than 10,000 lifesaving units of blood and platelets to go uncollected.
This month, in partnership with the National Football League (NFL), the Red Cross is celebrating our team of blood donors during National Blood Donor Month by automatically entering all presenting blood donors for a chance to win a trip to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona.
Just as Peyton Manning did for nearly 20 years on the football field, he is leading by example by rolling up his sleeve to help patients and asking others to do the same.
“If everyone does their part, and we collectively commit to donating blood, we can stack up more wins for hospital patients who are counting on us. A single individual is certainly impactful, but a whole team of people coming together to donate has an even greater effect,” Manning said.
Avoiding blood shortages means better care for patients and better outcomes
“Patients access to care means having a blood readily available on hospital shelves,” said Dr. Baia Lasky. “It’s important people don’t wait until there’s a crisis to give blood. One in 7 patients entering the hospital will need a blood transfusion, making it one of the most common hospital procedures in the U.S., yet only 3% of the public give.”
Unlike other treatments, blood cannot be stockpiled or manufactured—it can only come from volunteer blood donors. Blood products are not only vital in saving patients’ lives but instrumental in supporting other treatments like chemotherapy.
In fact, every minute about six blood products are needed to help someone going through cancer treatment. This is in part because chemotherapy and radiation, used to treat cancer, can damage the body’s ability to generate healthy blood cells and cause potentially life-threatening conditions. Blood and platelet transfusions from generous donors help to provide patients with critical clotting factors, proteins and antibodies needed to help their bodies fight back.
Step off the sidelines and get in the blood donation game to help score big for patients in need of lifesaving blood. Visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or call 1-800-Red Cross.
