BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The American Red Cross and Sloss Fright Furnace have teamed up for a “hauntingly good” cause, helping provide blood for patients in need this fall. Starve a vampire this Halloween season, and join us if you dare at the “Fright for Life” blood drive. All presenting donors will receive one free ticket to Sloss Fright Furnace, a Red Cross T-shirt, and be entered to win a $5,000 visa gift card, courtesy of Suburban Propane. Donors have the option of donating at the “Fright for Life” blood drive at Sloss Furnace, the American Red Cross Birmingham Blood Donation Center located on Caldwell Trace, or the UAB Hospital Blood Donation Center located in the North Pavilion.
Fright for Life Blood Drive
Thursday, Oct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 17
5 to 10 p.m.
Sloss Furnace
20 32nd St. North
Birmingham, Ala. 35222
American Red Cross Caldwell Trace Blood Donation Center
Thursday, Oct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 17
7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
700 Caldwell Trace
Birmingham, Ala. 35242
UAB Hospital Blood Donation Center
Thursday, Oct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 17
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
1802 6th Ave. South – North Pavilion 2390
Birmingham, Ala. 35233
To make an appointment to donate blood, eligible donors are encouraged to download the new Red Cross Blood Donor App from app stores or text BLOODAPP to 90999 to receive a download link, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: FRIGHTFURNACE or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Walk-in donors are welcome.
“We are thrilled to have a new partnership with Sloss Fright Furnace and the opportunity to give exciting rewards to our donors,” said Alicia Anger, external communications manager of the Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Blood Services Region. “The blood drive is a unique fit for the Halloween season, but it is also essential in our efforts to continue providing lifesaving blood to patients relying on the generosity of donors this fall.”
October is Liver Awareness Month. More than 6,000 liver transplants are performed each year in the U.S. Liver transplant patients may require in excess of 30 pints of blood during surgery. Volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need of transfusions during surgery. Giving blood is an easy way to make an impact in someone’s life.
How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. 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 (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
