Washington Nationals pitcher Ross Detwiler and Inova encourage fans to come out to Nationals Park on June 30 and donate blood:
Donating Blood = Saving Lives Thank you to the Nats fans whom have donated blood in the past and have signed up for the upcoming Nats Inova Blood Drive. All of the appointments for this drive are filled per INOVA website.
WHO: NATS FANS!
WHAT: INOVA and Washington Nationals Summer Blood Drive
WHERE: Nationals Park Conference Center - 1500 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Blood donors may park for free in Lot B at Nats Park and enter ballpark through Third Base Gate.
WHEN: Saturday, June 30, 2012 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
HOW: Donors can make an appointment now by calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866-256-6372) or sign up online at www.inova.org/donateblood. Click on the “Schedule an Appointment” button (on the right side), and use zip code 20003 to find the Nationals drive. Appointments are required and walk-ins will not be permitted to donate. There is limited space available – only the first 500 fans to sign up will be able to participate. The entire donation process takes approximately one hour.
Update: All appointments have been filled.
WHY: The gift of life. And as a bonus: Fans who donate blood will receive a T-shirt, two (2) tickets to a future Nationals home game, a behind the scenes guided tour of the ballpark during the blood drive and an opportunity to enter a raffle for autographed Nationals merchandise and premium tickets with a unique on-field experience.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO FOR DONORS:
To give blood, you must be feeling generally well on the day of your donation, be at least 16 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated blood in the past eight weeks (56 days). There is a one week wait to donate after any tattoos or body piercings. There are other factors that may affect your eligibility to give blood; any questions can be answered by calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES or by visiting www.inova.org/donateblood. Aspects of each potential donor’s health history are discussed as part of the donation process before any blood is collected. Each donor receives a brief examination during which temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin (iron level) are measureOne blood donation can save up to three lives and there is an immediate need for all blood types. More than 200 blood and platelet donations are needed every day, year-round, for patients in area hospitals. Blood and platelets help many people, including trauma patients, surgery patients, newborn babies, cancer patients and transplant patients. Inova Blood Donor Services is the major supplier of blood products in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.
Cheryl Nichols is a Columnist and Photographer for District Sports Page. She is credentialed to cover the Washington Capitals and has reported on the community service and fan events for Nats News Network and Caps News Network since 2006. Cheryl is an accomplished action photographer and has been published in The Washington Post and many other local media. She was a credentialed photographer for the 2010 season covering the Washington Nationals. You can follow her on Twitter @cnichols14.
