They may be on hiatus for the foreseeable future, but the St. Louis Cardinals are stepping up for their community during a time of need. The organization is teaming with Anheuser-Busch, FOX Sports Midwest and the American Red Cross to host a blood drive this month at Busch Stadium.
The event is set for Tuesday, April 21 and calls for blood and platelet donations, with a particular need for Type O blood donors. Donations are appointment-only through an online registration here.
“We are proud to support our partners at the American Red Cross by opening up the Cardinals Club at Busch Stadium for a blood drive,” said Michael Hall, Cardinals’ VP of Community Relations, in a release. “The vast space we have allows the Red Cross to set up a blood drive with appropriate social distancing guidelines in place at this time.”
The Cardinals have hosted an annual blood drive each summer since 2004 and are poised to do so again June 17-19. April’s one-day drive came to be as the American Red Cross faces a dire need for blood and platelets amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing practices have forced many planned drives to fall through at community locations, leading to the shortage.
“We could not be more grateful to the St. Louis Cardinals for all that they do to support the Red Cross,” said Mary Jane Thomsen, Executive Director of the Red Cross’ St. Louis chapter. “We are especially grateful that our Cardinals are partnering with Anheuser-Busch and FOX Sports Midwest to provide their stadium space to host a blood drive this month. The units collected will greatly impact the blood supply, providing lifesaving transfusions to patients in need.”
To aid the blood shortage, sports stadiums are stepping up to hold blood drives with plenty of space to accommodate participants while keeping healthy. Arizona’s State Farm Stadium has held three different blood drives in the last month. The events, hosted by the NFL’s Cardinals, saw tremendous turn out with registration for all events reaching the maximum number of appointments in a number of hours.
Donation sites are taking important measures to ensure the health and safety of donors in the wake of the current pandemic. Prior to entering the site, staff and donors will have their temperature taken to detect fevers. In addition, staff will wear face masks, disinfect stations regularly, provide hand sanitizer and set up stations at a distance of at least six feet apart.
Photo via St. Louis Cardinals / @Cardinals
