RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - As children return to school, and summer winds down, the American Red Cross along with the Nashville Predators Foundation is asking fans to help stay off a blood shortage for area hospitals by donating blood. Preds blood drives are taking place in cities across Tennessee and Kentucky.

“We continue to see numbers of donors lower than we like to see for this time of year,” Garry Allison, regional donor services executive with the Red Cross Tennessee Valley Blood Services Region said. “It is so important that if our donors can roll up their sleeves to donate at a Preds Drive, they do so. Your donation can save multiple lives and makes a difference for families throughout the region.”

The partnership with the Preds is vital for the American Red Cross. The Red Cross supplies 40 percent of all blood products to hospitals across the nation. All blood types are needed, but there is a demand for type O negative and type O positive blood. O negative type blood is the universal donor that can be given to any patient of any blood type during emergencies. Those type O blood bags are used most by hospital emergency rooms to treat trauma patients and during surgeries. Blood donated to community blood drives for the American Red Cross account for 80 percent of all blood collected in the United States.

All presenting donors will receive a Predators foam hockey puck, while supplies last. Donors will also be entered into a drawing for a signed hockey puck from a current player. All who come to give throughout the month of August will get a $10 e-gift card to a movie merchant of their choice. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Movie.

How to donate blood - Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. To register for a Predators blood drive be sure to enter the code PREDS19. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.  

Amplify your impact − volunteer! - Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross is to become a volunteer blood donor ambassador at Red Cross blood drives. Blood donor ambassadors help greet, check-in and thank blood donors to ensure they have a positive donation experience.

Volunteers can also serve as transportation specialists, playing a vital role in ensuring lifesaving blood products are delivered to nearby hospitals. For more information and to apply for either position, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.

About the American Red Cross - The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.