(WKYT) – The Kentucky Blood Center is offering a summer incentive to inspire people to donate blood leading up to the Fourth of July holiday.
For the next two months, the blood center will offer free T-shirts and coupons for a free pint of Bluebell ice cream to donors through a promotion called Red, White, and Bluebell.
Mandy Brajuha and a team with the Kentucky Blood Center begin planning promotional events around January and February each year to fill blood donor beds at each of their locations.
“This one was kind of easy in the sense of what can we do to play off of America and what’s more American than having a good ice cream in the summer?” Brajuha said.
Summer blood supply concerns
Brajuha said promotional events like this always make a difference, but this time of year is one of the most crucial for the Kentucky Blood Center to get donors.
“Summer is called trauma season for a reason. If you’ll talk to any trauma surgeon at any of our local hospitals they’ll tell you accidents take an uptick in the summer. People are being more adventurous, they’re out on the roads more, they’re doing more outdoor activities, which tends to lead to more accidents,” Brajuha said.
Brajuha said a trauma patient can use 50 units of blood in a matter of minutes, so the center likes to have an ample supply as the weather warms up. But with how harsh this winter was and how that limited certain donation events, she said they’re playing catch-up.
“Its been really hard to kind of keep our heads above water. Spring has not been friendly, there’s been an uptick in usage, so we were kind of behind going into Memorial Day weekend, which is not where we want to be,” Brajuha said.
Brajuha said the center needs more people to give a pint and get a pint this summer.
“Don’t wait for us to appeal to you in a critical shortage. We want folks to be donating proactively so the blood is tested and separated and ready and on the shelves to go out to our hospitals,” Brajuha said.
Brajuha said the Bluebell ice cream coupon can be used at any retailer that sells the brand.