Saratoga Casino Hotel hosting blood drive in ballroom
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A blood shortage is underway, and according to the American Red Cross, they need a thousand blood donations every day to prevent delays in care. With that in mind, they're partnering with the Saratoga Casino Hotel for a ballroom blood drive on Monday.
“This is the 22nd blood drive that we have hosted with the American Red Cross,” said Alex Tucker, General Manager at Saratoga Casino Hotel. They have collected over 1,100 pints at drives like this over the past decade. “Every year we see amazing support from our community and team members and we are proud to continue our annual drives to assist the American Red Cross in saving lives.”
The blood drive is running from noon to 6 p.m., and donations from community members and staff alike are welcome. Make an appointment to give by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org with code SARATOACASINO, calling (800) RED-CROSS, or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on Alexa Echo.
The Red Cross is giving donors at the drive a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card via email and a $5 gift card to Fat Paulie’s Delicatessen in Saratoga Springs, plus a chance to win $5,000 in gas and a trip for four to Cedar Point or Knott’s Berry Farm.
Hospitals are reporting unusually high amounts of traumas, emergency room visits, organ transplants, and even elective surgeries, and patients rely on lifesaving blood transfusions. For months, the Red Cross has been sounding the alarm about a severe shortage of all blood types—especially type O and platelets.