KANSAS CITY – With local blood supplies critically low heading into the summer months, Community Blood Center (CBC) once again teamed up with the Kansas City Royals to host a blood drive at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, June 4th. The local supply of types O-negative and B-negative was at just a 1-2-day supply, well below the ideal inventory of 7 days, and donors have been urgently needed at the outset of summer.
The blood drive collected a total of 88 units.
“This was the largest single day blood drive we’ve had with the Royals,” Manager of Donor Recruitment Cierra Arterburn said. “And it just 12 units shy of our last two-day blood drive combined.”
As a thank you for giving the lifesaving gift of blood donation, all who came to donate received a Royals T-shirt and two vouchers redeemable for tickets to a select 2025 Royals home game.
The Kansas City Royals have been a steadfast partner to CBC for more than 25 years, encouraging blood donation even during the most challenging times for the blood supply. Since 2020 alone, the team has helped collect more than 280 donations, each one potentially saving up to three lives.
This drive came at a pivotal time: summer has historically been one of the hardest seasons to maintain an adequate blood supply, as regular donors are distracted by vacations, school breaks, and outdoor activities. Meanwhile, hospitals often see a surge in trauma cases, from car accidents to outdoor injuries, many of which require immediate transfusions. In fact, nearly 1 in 4 trauma patients need blood as part of lifesaving treatment.
Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. To view current eligibility guidelines or make an appointment, visit savealifenow.org or call 877.468.6844.
It only takes one hour to donate, and a single donation can save multiple lives. Roughly one in seven hospital admissions require a blood transfusion. Those in need include: cancer patients, accident, burn, or trauma victims, newborn babies and their mothers, transplant recipients, surgery patients, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia, and more.
