The Minnesota Vikings & Memorial Blood Centers Join Forces to Save Lives

ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 26, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Minnesota's independent community blood center, Memorial Blood Centers (MBC) will host their 7th annual blood drive event with the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, November 30.  Join the Minnesota Vikings players in supporting Memorial Blood Centers' mission to save lives.

Chad Greenway will be in attendance along with other players and cheerleaders scheduled to arrive around 12:00 pm.  All presenting donors will receive a Caribou Coffee coupon.  Plus all donations will go towards MBC's Pint for a Pound Promotion.  For every pint of blood donated from November 15, 2010 to January 9, 2011 MBC will donate the equivalent of one pound of food to Second Harvest food shelves.

The blood drive will take place at Burnsville Center (in the mall on Level I next to Caribou Coffee) from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.  This is a public event so all Vikings fans – especially those that are blood donors – are welcome.  What better gift to give this holiday season than the gift of life!

The precious gift of blood can only be provided by volunteers like you, there is no substitute.  To donate blood during the Vikings event, please call 888-GIVE-BLD (888-448-3253) or schedule online at MBC.org (enter sponsor code 9822).

Fast Facts about Giving a Gift to Your Community:

Every two seconds, someone needs blood—from heart transplant recipients and cancer patients to accident victims in crises. Memorial Blood Centers faces a demand of over 2,000 units a week to meet the needs of more than 30 hospital partners. And making a donation is one way to give a potentially life-saving gift to friends, family, and community.

1. All donations are processed and available for use within 24-48 hours
2. Each unit of blood can help up to three (3) people
3. Since blood cannot be synthetically made, there is no substitute
4. Donating is safe, convenient, and takes only about one hour, including registration and a mini-physical.

The need for blood never takes a vacation—even though donors sometimes do—and shortages often occur around the holidays.  Right now, we are facing a critical need for Type O Negative blood donors. If you don't know your blood type, make a donation and you will find out your blood type and how your blood is used to help save the lives of people in need.

About Memorial Blood Centers

Memorial Blood Centers has been saving lives in the community for over 60 years as an independent, nonprofit organization supplying life-saving blood and blood components to over 30 hospital partners throughout Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Operating 11 donor centers and conducting hundreds of blood drives each month, Memorial Blood Centers also is a national leader in transfusion medicine, providing expert technical services to clients across the U.S. For more information call 888-GIVE-B-L-D or visit www.MBC.org.  

SOURCE Memorial Blood Centers