A blood drive planned for January 27 could win someone tickets to 76ers games
Bayhealth is teaming up with Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) and Delaware State University (DSU) Athletics to host the third annual Ballin’ for Blood Drive on Thursday, Feb. 1. The blood drive is scheduled from 1-6 p.m. on Bayhealth Court in Memorial Hall Gym on the main DSU campus, 1200 N. DuPont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901.
Bayhealth will be cheering on the Hornets and encouraging fans to register for the Ballin’ for Blood Drive during the Hornets’ basketball doubleheader against South Carolina State University on Saturday, Jan. 27. The women’s game begins at 2 p.m. and the men’s game is scheduled for 4 p.m.
All donors who present to donate at the Ballin’ for Blood Drive will entered into our sweepstakes to win four tickets to a Philadelphia 76ers game! All donors will receive a $10 Chick-fil-A gift card as well.
Bayhealth is the primary healthcare provider for DSU Athletics and long-time partner of BBD which supplies blood to Bayhealth’s hospitals and standalone emergency rooms across Kent and Sussex Counties. The goal of Ballin’ for Blood is to raise awareness of the importance of a stable and diverse blood supply and to ultimately save lives in our communities by filling 50 donation appointments.
“Bayhealth is proud to leverage its partnerships with these two like-minded organizations to directly benefit the health of our community through blood donation,” commented Interim Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Community Engagement Amanda Bowie, MSM. “The blood collected through events like Ballin’ for Blood is used by our care teams to save lives every day.”
The drive also coincides with the start of Black History Month. Dr. Charles R. Drew, an African-American physician, is known as the father of blood banking.
BBD will work closely with community partners to increase African American donors. DSU, a historically black college, will play a role in those efforts. African Americans make up about 22% of the state’s population, and more than 50% of this demographic has type O blood. In addition, the number of African American donors at BBD increased to 5.7% in 2023, up from 5.1% the previous year.
“By having a diverse donor population, we can help ensure a better blood match for patients needing treatment,” said Steve Corse, Executive Director, Blood Operations at BBD.
Last year, the Ballin’ for Blood Drive brought in 48 donors, while the inaugural event brought in 33 donors. Most of the donors have been DSU students and staff, local residents, and Bayhealth employees and volunteers.
“DSU Athletics is excited to once again partner with Bayhealth and the Blood Bank of Delmarva to help raise awareness and teach our students, fans and community about the importance of a stable blood supply and how to help save lives in our community,” said Hornets’ Director of Athletics Alecia Shields-Gadson. “Our partnership with Bayhealth is all about utilizing our joint resources to inform and educate the University family and community at large on all things health and wellness, and this blood drive is a critical part of that mission. Bayhealth is truly ‘Here for Our Hornets.’”
Visit Bayhealth.org/B4B to learn more and to register to donate.
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