Saint John’s Health Center is one of 10 Southern California area hospitals taking part in the first annual Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Blood Drive, in conjunction with the Southern California Hospital Recruitment Alliance (SCHRA) on Friday, June 17.
Anyone who donates at any of the participating SCHRA hospitals will receive a voucher for one free ticket to an LA or Orange County performance of the 135th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus this July. Hundreds of tickets are expected to be donated through this blood drive.
Saint John’s Health Center’s Blood Drive is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2020 Santa Monica Blvd., third floor, conference room D & E. Appointments are recommended and can be made by calling (310) 829-8025.
As the summer season approaches, hospitals throughout Los Angeles typically reach a critical shortage level, posing a potential danger to residents in need of blood. Although 90 percent of Americans will require a blood transfusion at some point in their lifetime, fewer than 5 percent of eligible donors actually give blood.
Eligible donors must bring identification (driver’s license, state I.D. card and/or social security number), be 17 years of age (or 16 with parental consent) or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in general good health. From registration through post-donation refreshments, the process takes about an hour, though the actual donation takes only eight to 10 minutes. Donors should eat at least two to three hours before donating blood and drink plenty of fluids. Individuals are eligible to donate blood as often as every eight weeks.
Formed in November of 1997, SCHRA is a consortium of Hospital-based Blood Donor Centers, committed to working cooperatively toward education, promotion, and acquisition of a safe and adequate blood supply within the communities they serve.Ringling Brothers will appear for the first time at the Staples Center July 20-24 before moving to the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim July 27-August 7, 2005.
