Seattle Seahawks & Seafair Team Up with Bloodworks to Support Summer Needs

Submitted by Bloodworks NW

When speaking of Seattle, it is hard not to mention the Seattle Seahawks and Seafair. One a championship football team and the other a long-standing annual celebration of the city, both are beloved by the people. This summer, each iconic organization will partner with Bloodworks Northwest and commit to the health and wellbeing of the residents in their community.

The Seattle Seahawks will open up CenturyLink Field and host a month-long Pop-Up Donor Center in July. CenturyLink Field will act as an additional location for donors to roll up their sleeves and give blood during this critical time as hospitals resume elective surgeries and procedures. CenturyLink Field joins the list of sports venues utilizing their spaces as a lifeline for patients needing blood. The Pop-Up could potentially provide over 1,600 additional blood donations. On the day of their appointment, fans are invited to wear team colors and share the love with #BleedForBlueAndGreen. One lucky donor will win a Seahawks Swag Bag including an Authentic Helmet autographed by WR Tyler Lockett and one Authentic 12 Flag autographed by LB Bobby Wagner.

“Simply put, donating blood saves lives,” said Jeff Richards, Seahawks Vice President of Marketing and Community Engagement. “We are proud to partner with Bloodworks Northwest to host a pop-up donation site on our home turf, CenturyLink Field, and hope all the 12s who are healthy and able will come together to support our community by donating blood.”

With the annual Seafair festivities being rescheduled due to COVID19, organizers turn to alternative ways of celebrating. Seafair introduces the Summer of Service campaign by encouraging the community to support their neighbors and local organizations. The Summer of Service launches the first week with a focus on spreading awareness for the importance of donating blood. Seafair will use its platform to rally the community to give. Between June 29 and July 5, donors are encouraged to make an appointment at any Bloodworks center or Pop-Up to participate. Upon arrival, say the code “SEAF” for a chance to win a Family 4-pack of tickets to the Hydroplane and Race Boat Museum. One winner will be chosen every day of the week. These donations come at a crucial time, heading into July 4^th weekend where the blood supply historically takes a dip.

“Seafair is about community and celebrating what it means to live in the Puget Sound,” said Seafair President & CEO Eric Corning. “With Seafair Events not taking place this summer, we still want to celebrate community and one of the best ways to celebrate is to give back to the community and help your neighbors.  Donating blood is a simple gesture of giving, yet it is so urgently needed at this time.”

“Summer is always a challenging time for blood collection, and the supply is already at the point where inventories of the most-needed blood types are fast approaching critical levels – meaning a blood shortage could be ahead of us without community action,” said Curt Bailey, Bloodworks Northwest President and CEO. “That’s why partners like Seafair and the Seattle Seahawks urging their generous supporters and fans to donate blood is so powerful.”

Donors of all blood types are still needed every day to make an appointment to give blood in support of cancer patients, trauma victims, premature babies, or to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients, among others. As a special thank you for helping stock the shelves for local patients, all donors between June 29 – July 11 will receive a $20 pantry-stocking grocery gift card.

First-time and repeat donors are urged to make their one-hour donation appointment today as a safe and essential action to support local patients. In accordance with current social distancing guidelines, only scheduled appointments will be allowed. No walk-ins, guests, or people under age 16 are permitted on site. Donors are asked to bring a mask/face covering to their donation. All blood types are urgently needed, but Type O is especially in demand.

How To Participate

Bloodworks has posted information addressing questions and concerns for blood donors at bloodworksnw.org/coronavirus. Blood donation takes about an hour from registration to post-donation refreshment. Information about who can donate and where is available at www.bloodworksnw.org.

Additional Resources

For the latest information on COVID-19 please visit the CDC website and Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 main page.

About Bloodworks Northwest

Bloodworks Northwest is backed by 75 years of Northwest history and 250,000 donors. It is local, nonprofit, independent, volunteer-supported and community-based. A recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Bloodworks serves patients at hospitals in Washington, Oregon and Alaska — partnering closely with local hospitals to deliver the highest level of patient care. Comprehensive services include blood components, complex cross-matching, specialized lab services for organ transplants, care for patients with blood disorders, and collection of cord blood stem cells for cancer treatment. Bloodworks Research Institute performs leading-edge research in blood biology, transfusion medicine, blood storage and treatment of blood disorders. Patients with traumatic injuries, undergoing surgeries or organ transplantation or receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders all depend on our services, expertise, laboratories and research. Blood donation appointments can be scheduled at bloodworksnw.org.