In a move to combat a severe blood supply shortage, the City of Irvine teams up with UCI Health for a blood drive slated for Wednesday, December 20, at the Irvine Civic Center. Between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., the event is to desperately try and replenish the stocks that are so critical for the UCI Medical Center's ongoing patient care.
The blood drive is not just a medical necessity but also comes with perks for those who roll up their sleeves. Donors are to be given a $10 gift card to Target, In-N-Out Burger, or Starbucks. Additionally, they will also snag a new blood donor t-shirt or beanie, not to mention a shot at a holiday gift basket courtesy of UCI Health, as stated on the city's official announcement. To keep things flowing smoothly, appointments can be made online, but the drive will also welcome walk-ins.
With the UCI Medical Center being the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the region and using up over a thousand units of blood monthly, the stakes are high. A significant number of cancer patients, severe trauma sufferers, and vulnerable newborns in the NICU are hanging in the balance, reliant on these donations.
The push for donations comes at a time when the need couldn't be more urgent. To meet the center's lofty goal, 1,000 kind-hearted souls are needed monthly. For those willing to donate, detailed criteria and safety protocols are readily available on the Irvine website to ensure all participants are prepared and to possibly save lives.
Located at the heart of a bustling and well-known planned urban community, the Irvine Civic Center at 1 Civic Center stands as a bastion for such communal drives. Its efforts extend beyond the bounds of safety and education, digging deep into health and wellbeing by backing events like this life-saving blood drive.
