Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo, Calif., is partnering with Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP), to encourage more people to donate blood by donating tickets to the park’s popular Halloween celebration – FRIGHT FEST. Six Flags Marine World is also hosting a special blood drive to save lives on Thursday, (Sept. 28) from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the park’s main entrance. All blood donors on Thursday will receive a free ticket and a bring-a-friend for half off coupon to Six Flags Marine World’s FRIGHT FEST.
“We’re so grateful to Six Flags Marine World for their generosity in helping us motivate people to donate blood,” said BCP President, Dr. Nora Hirschler. “The Bay Area faces constant blood shortages and we’re hopeful that this partnership will go a long way in making sure blood is available to patients who need it.”
Beginning Sept. 29 and running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 29, Six Flags Marine World transforms itself from ‘theme park’ to ‘scream park.’ FRIGHT FEST features activities for guests of all ages to take part in, from trick-or-treating for the youngsters to haunted mazes, scare zones and even a zombie-driven funeral procession for the brave, all combined with the Park’s impressive line-up of world-class roller coasters and family rides, amazing animal attractions and sensational shows. Taking place during select times throughout the night at each of the haunted mazes, daring guests wanting to enhance their FRIGHT FEST experience can “eat their way to the front of the line” by feasting on a live cockroach. Those brave enough to savor each bite will enjoy exclusive front of the line access for that attraction for themselves and three other friends or family members.
Blood Centers of the Pacific is a nonprofit organization that provides volunteer blood donations to 40 hospitals throughout Northern California. For more information, visit http://www.bloodcenters.org.
Contact: Lisa Bloch, BCP
415-749-6612
Paul Garcia, Six Flags
707-556-5227
Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP) is asking for immediate blood donations – especially of Type O blood – to boost critically low blood supplies. As of this morning, the blood bank is reporting:
A deficit of 420 pints of Type O blood;
Rationing of blood to the 40 hospitals it serves;
Heavy usage of blood due to traumas, including car accidents and gunshots, as well as several organ transplants;
Inability to receive regular blood imports from outside the state, which usually make up 20 percent of the Bay Area’s blood supply; and
Serious concern over region’s ability to respond to an emergency, such as a natural disaster or attack.
If the region’s blood supply does not improve within 48 hours, hospitals will be strongly encouraged to postpone scheduled surgeries expected to require significant amounts of Type O blood.
Typically, the summertime brings blood shortages to metropolitan areas, as many regular blood donors go on vacation and donor groups such as high schools and colleges aren’t able to host blood drives.
Of those people eligible to donate blood, less than 4 percent actually do. To make up that deficit, BCP regularly imports blood from outside the state. However, because summertime shortages are nationwide, the blood center has been unable to receive its regular orders of blood.
Blood Centers of the Pacific is a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides volunteer blood donations to patients in 40 hospitals throughout Northern California. BCP has donation locations throughout the region.
To donate blood, call 888-393-GIVE or visit http://www.bloodcenters.org.
Lisa Bloch, (415) 749-6612
Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP) is asking for immediate blood donations – especially of Type O blood – to boost critically low blood supplies. The Bay Area has been in a serious blood shortage since the beginning of the month and supplies are dangerously low.
In response to the critical shortage, BCP is now rationing blood to the 41 hospitals it serves and has put those hospitals on notice that there might not be enough available blood for procedures requiring large amounts of Type O .
Typically, the summertime brings blood shortages to metropolitan areas, as many regular blood donors go on vacation and donor groups such as high schools and colleges aren’t able to host blood drives.
Of those people eligible to donate blood, less than 4 percent actually do. To make up that deficit, BCP regularly imports blood from outside the state. However, because summertime shortages are nationwide, the blood center has been unable to receive its regular orders of blood.
“Of particular concern at this time is our ability to support organ transplants and/or significant traumas,” said Lisa Bloch, spokesperson for Blood Centers of the Pacific. “Organ transplants can require a tremendous amount of blood and these procedures are put in jeopardy with a critical shortage like this.”
Blood Centers of the Pacific is a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides volunteer blood donations to patients in 41 hospitals throughout Northern California. BCP has donation locations throughout the region.
To donate blood, call 888-393-GIVE or visit http://www.bloodcenters.org.
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BCP will be open on Sunday, June 18th, 2006 from 9am to 2pm at the following centers:
North Bay Center - Fairfield
Shasta Blood Center - Redding
Peninsula Center - San Mateo
Irwin Center - San Francisco
The nation’s very first community blood bank, founded in San Francisco,is celebrating its 65 th anniversary this month. Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP), formerly known as the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank, opened its doors to community blood donation in June of 1941 and has been helping Bay Area residents give the gift of life to patients in need ever since.
Prior to 1941, the concept of a community blood bank didn’t exist. Although some hospitals had small drawing stations, there was no adequate method of obtaining and storing enough blood for patients who needed emergency transfusions. Two San Francisco physicians, working with the San Francisco Medical Society (SFMS), founded the fledging blood center, which was granted permission to operate out of the basement of the Irwin Mansion in Nob Hill, which the SMFS owned.
Since that time, BCP has grown tremendously, now operating 12 donation centers, hundreds of mobile blood drives and providing lifesaving volunteer blood donations to 41 hospitals throughout Northern California. BCP provides 140,000 pints of lifesaving volunteer blood donations each year.
But while BCP celebrates this special occasion, officials remain deeply concerned about the region’s constant blood shortages. Of those people eligible to give blood in the Bay Area, less than 4 percent do. As a result, BCP must import 20 percent of its blood from outside the state. Blood shortages become particularly acute in the summer, as many regular blood donors go on vacation and the need for blood rises due to accidents and scheduled surgeries.
Donated blood is used to treat accidents victims, new mothers and their babies, organ transplant recipients, cancer patients and many more. To make an appointment to donate blood, visit http://www.bloodcenters.org or call 888-393-GIVE.
Blood Centers of the Pacific’s Napa Blood Center, located on Soscol Avenue flooded over the holiday weekend, shrinking already low blood supplies for the region. The Napa Center took on more than a foot of water, leaving the Bay Area without an important resource for blood donation.
Blood center staff is reporting that the damage is extensive. Vital equipment and furniture was damaged or destroyed and communications and computer systems are down. Most important, however, is the loss of the blood donations that center sees. Residents come to the Napa Center to donate whole blood and also platelets, which are a precious blood component often used to treat cancer patients. The situation was further compounded when flooding closed major area highways, preventing staff and donors from reaching other collections centers in the North Bay.
The flooding comes at a bad time, as blood supplies throughout the area are already low and hospital needs are exceeding expectations.
Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP) is urging all Napa blood donors to consider donating at its two nearest locations – Fairfield and Vallejo.
“We’re doing all we can right now to clean up the center but we don’t know yet when we’ll be able to reopen it,” said BCP’s North Bay Region Director, Lana Dyson. “We hope residents will consider coming to our other blood centers, as our region’s patients are relying on their generosity.”
To donate blood, call 888-393-GIVE or visit bloodcenters.org.
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