Donate blood and you could go to Super Bowl LVI
LOS ANGELES - The American Red Cross is hurting for blood donors, so much so that they're entering everyone who donates blood in January into a raffle to win tickets to Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The organization declared its first-ever nationwide blood crisis in the U.S. this week, its worst shortage in more than a decade. Blood shortages have been common throughout the pandemic, the Red Cross citing a lack of donors, blood drive cancellations and staffing challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If the nation’s blood supply does not stabilize soon, life-saving blood may not be available for some patients when it is needed," the organization warned in a joint statement with America's Blood Centers and the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies.
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January is National Blood Donor Month according to the Red Cross, and the organization's new partnership with the NFL will enter all who donate blood through Jan. 31 into a raffle to win a trip to LA and two tickets to this year's Super Bowl. The winning donor will get two tickets to the game, the NFL tailgate, and the Super Bowl Experience, round-trip airfare to LA, a three-night stay at an area hotel, and a $500 gift card.
The organization held a similar raffle last year for the Super Bowl in Miami.
Overall, there has been a 10% decline in blood donation since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the Red Cross said.
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