Submitted by Cascade Regional Blood Services
Patients across the nation are in trouble. The pool of donors providing millions of Americans with life-saving blood is declining at a detrimental rate. Roughly 45% of the nation’s blood donors are over 50 years old, and as the population ages, it gets harder to maintain the levels needed to save lives.
This World Blood Donor Day, celebrated June 14, Cascade Regional Blood Services is highlighting the critical need for regular blood donations. And to help engage a new generation of young donors, Cascade Regional Blood Services has partnered with Team Liquid, a multi-regional, professional esports organization with a national fan base of more than seven million gamers.
The Cascade Regional Blood Services -Team Liquid partnership takes aim at a key demographic – less than 20% of blood donations come from millennials (age 20-34 years), and young males donate at even lesser rates.
“With less than 20% of blood donations coming from 20-34-year-olds, Cascade Regional Blood Services is excited to partner with eSports and Team Liquid in an effort to encourage more donations from these key generational demographics. The 18-34 age groups is under represented as blood donors, and we are on a mission to educate this demographic about the importance of becoming a regular blood donor”, said Candy Morrison, Director of Communications and Community Relations for Cascade Regional Blood Services.
Join eSports elite, Team Liquid and Cascade Regional Blood Services at select Team Liquid – Heal for Real Blood Drives on a Tuesday from July 2 – August 27, in one our three donor centers located in Tacoma, Puyallup, and Federal Way, or at specific Heal for Real blood drives. This exclusive campaign includes a limited edition ‘Team Liquid Turns Red’ t-shirt and the chance to win a Dell Alienware Gaming PC; valued at $900. The exclusive t-shirts will be offered to 150 donors that make an appointment online, keep the appointment, and state I am here to Heal for Real upon registration.
“We’re proud to partner with Blood Centers of America and its members on this life-saving initiative,” said Team Liquid’s CEO, Steve Arhancet. “Our fans are such a supportive, tight-knit community, and now we’re calling on them to help us accomplish something bigger than what we could achieve in any competition. Collectively, we have the opportunity to make a measurable impact on communities as well as save lives.”
The need for blood is significant. Every two seconds, an American needs blood. One whole pint of blood can save three or more lives. As the blood provider for the So. King and Pierce County area and the sole provider for MultiCare Health System Hospitals and Centers, Cascade Regional Blood Services ensures donated blood reaches patients at local hospitals and health systems nationwide.
“As part of a select group of blood centers across the nation, and the only one in the Pacific Northwest, to be invited to participate in Team Liquid’s Heal for Real campaign, we are honored to have been chosen, and feel a great sense of responsibility to reach this crucial demographic. This campaign gives us that opportunity and we look forward to all the exciting events and promotions that eSports and Team Liquid has in store for the gaming community”, stated Morrison.
About Cascade Regional Blood Services
Cascade Regional Blood Services (CRBS) is your community blood center and provides a constant, safe, cost-effective supply of blood, blood components and other related services to area communities. CRBS has supplied lifesaving blood products to the entire MultiCare Health System in Pierce and South King Counties since 1946. Cascade Regional Blood Services also perform specialty therapeutic procedures, provide specially trained nurses at Tacoma General and Mary Bridge Hospitals, supply blood products to cancer and medical centers throughout Washington State, and assist other blood centers as needed. In addition, Cascade Regional Blood Service’s research division, ‘bResearch’, works with blood donors, medical science professionals, and research companies throughout the country to help advance vital treatment research and development.
Cascade Regional Blood Services has three donation centers located in Tacoma, Puyallup, and Federal Way. Visit http://www.crbs.net/ to learn more about Cascade Regional Blood Services. To find out more about Team Liquid’s Heal for Real Blood Drives, and set an appointment to donate visit: http://www.crbs.net/donate/igive-igame/.
About Team Liquid
Team Liquid was founded in 2000 and has evolved into one of the leading international multigame esports teams with training centers in Utrecht, The Netherlands, Sao Paulo, Brazil and Los Angeles, California. Team Liquid has over 65 athletes competing across 17 distinct games, including all major esports titles, such as DOTA 2, League of Legends, CS:GO, Fortnite, PUBG and more. Led by Co-CEOs Steve Arhancet and Victor Goossens, Team Liquid is one of the most successful esports teams in the Western market in terms of competitive achievement and fan engagement across multiple sports. Their League of Legends franchise is undefeated in North America in 2018 and 2019, claiming LCS titles in back-to-back splits and a second place finish at the international tournament the Mid-Season Invitational, while their CS:GO team is currently ranked #1 in the world. For more information: https://goo.gl/dSYvHT.
In addition to the premier esports team franchise, Liquid Enterprises operates various business units created to complement its esports athletic brand. This includes influencer management agency, Liquipedia, Liquid Media, and 1UP Studios, the full service production company known for its high-quality esports documentary style filmmaking, and creative commercial content.
Controlling interest in Team Liquid was recently purchased by esports ownership group, aXiomatic. aXiomatic leadership includes Co-Executive Chairmen Peter Guber, Ted Leonsis, Jeff Vinik and Bruce Karsh who together represent an unparalleled team of sports, technology, entertainment and investment industry titans.