The Arizona Diamondbacks and American Red Cross, in partnership with Budweiser, will host a blood drive at Chase Field on April 28-30 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Fans must make an appointment online in advance, walk-ins will not be accepted. To schedule an appointment time, visit www.redcrossblood.org and use the keyword ONETEAM to find the Chase Field donation location.
“We are excited to partner with the Red Cross and Budweiser to help provide a safe space for our fans to donate blood at such a crucial time,” said D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall. “Blood donations are essential, especially in times like this, and we are proud to be able to offer a space that allows the Red Cross to be able to continue to collect donations and take the necessary social distancing precautions. We thank our fans and partners for stepping up to the plate and helping those who need it most in our community.”
Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. To ensure the health of employees, volunteers and staff, precautions include:
- Checking temperatures of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy.
- Providing hand sanitizer for use before the drive, as well as throughout the donation process.
- Following social distancing between donors including entry, donation and refreshment areas.
- Routinely disinfecting surfaces, equipment and donor-touched areas.
- Wearing gloves, and changing gloves often.
- Using sterile collection sets and an aseptic scrub for every donation.
- Staff wearing basic face masks.
“The American Red Cross is thankful for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and Anheuser-Busch for recognizing the ongoing need for blood donations during these uncertain times. Having the ability to use Chase Field as a blood donation site gives the Red Cross the ability to practice safe social distancing and see a large number of donors in one location,” said Jason Benedict, Red Cross regional donor services executive. “Whether it is supporting large scale natural disaster relief, a local public safety campaign, or a significant three-day blood drive, the Arizona Diamondbacks continue to support the community in a variety of impactful ways.”
As of April 5, nearly 14,000 Red Cross blood drives have been canceled across the country due to coronavirus concerns, resulting in more than 400,000 fewer blood donations. Blood donation is essential to ensuring the health of our communities. The need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need. With no known end date in this fight against coronavirus, the Red Cross needs the help of donors and blood drive hosts to maintain a sufficient blood supply for weeks to come.
“Budweiser has been a part of American culture for generations and we wanted to do our part to help the people of America in a time its needed most” said Monica Rustgi, Vice President of Marketing, Budweiser. “Together with the Red Cross, our partner since 1906, and our many sports partners, we quickly mobilized as one team to extend our resources to support in areas that have been impacted as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, like blood supply.”
Budweiser, the country’s largest sponsor of live sports and entertainment, is redirecting sports and entertainment investments to its non-profit partners to respond to the COVID-19 public health crisis. The company has a longstanding tradition of providing support to its neighbors and communities in their times of need throughout its more than 165 year history. As part of a $5 million donation to the American Red Cross, Budweiser alongside its sports partners have identified available arenas and stadiums, including Chase Field, to be used for temporary blood drive centers. Budweiser will also donate media air time to the Red Cross in support of their public service announcements will use its supply and logistics network to begin producing and distributing bottles of hand sanitizer to accommodate the growing needs across the United States. The hand sanitizer will be utilized at Red Cross blood donation centers and to support emergency shelters for future relief efforts.
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