The Vitalant blood-mobile will be parked outside the Paseo Nuevo Cinemas tomorrow, Tuesday, September 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — offering a convenient way for Santa Barbara locals to give blood without leaving downtown.
The need is urgent and constant. “Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood,” said Kevin Adler, communications manager at Vitalant. “This could be a little girl in the ICU or a mother with Stage 3 leukemia.” Nearly 20 percent of all donated blood is used to help cancer patients, he added.
Vitalant supports more than 25 hospitals along the Central Coast, and most donations go directly to local patients. “It is Vitalant’s goal to ensure every patient, no matter where, has the lifesaving blood they need,” Adler said.
Two donation types will be offered: Whole Blood, the most common, takes about an hour start to finish; and Power Red, which collects red cells but returns platelets and plasma to the donor. (That option takes a little longer and has specific eligibility requirements, especially for blood types O-, O+, A-, and B-.)
Giving blood is quick, safe, and meaningful — but fewer and fewer people are doing it. “Approximately 60 percent of the population is eligible to give, yet unfortunately, fewer and fewer people are rolling up their sleeves to donate,” Adler said.
As an added incentive, donors who give blood with Vitalant between now and September 30 will be automatically entered to win $10,000 — funded by a national marketing budget.
“We’re proud to partner with Vitalant to bring this essential community service directly to Santa Barbara area residents,” said Caroline Mayhew, Paseo Nuevo’s marketing manager. “Paseo Nuevo is pleased to serve as an accessible, centrally located venue that connects the community with organizations like Vitalant.”
Appointments are available at vitalant.org, but walk-ins are welcome.
