LifeSouth Community Blood Centers and Meldon Law are inviting the Gainesville community to help replenish the local blood supply during the “Don’t Let Summer Bleed Away” Beach Festival and Blood Drive on Saturday, Aug. 1.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the LifeSouth Community Blood Center (4039 Newberry Road, Gainesville), according to a LifeSouth press release.
Designed as an end-of-summer celebration, the beach-themed festival will feature food trucks, local vendors and interactive community booths while encouraging residents to donate blood during one of the year’s most challenging seasons for maintaining an adequate blood supply.
To encourage donations, all blood donors will receive a commemorative event T-shirt and be automatically entered into a raffle for prizes, including:
- A two-night stay at Aloft Gainesville
- $100 gift cards to X-Golf and Dave & Buster’s
- An ORCA premium cooler, beach umbrellas and matching beach towels
Donors giving platelets or double red blood cells will also receive a $40 electronic gift card in addition to the event T-shirt and raffle entry.
“Summer is historically one of the most challenging seasons to maintain a stable local blood supply,” said Lorrie Woods, district director for North Florida, in the press release. “Partnering with Meldon Law allows us to transform a vital civic duty into a celebration, thanking our neighbors for directly supporting patient care across regional hospitals.”
Blood collected during the event will remain in the local community and help supply area hospitals, including UF Health Shands Hospital, HCA Florida North Florida Hospital and the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center.
Appointments and walk-in donors are welcome.
For more information, to schedule an appointment or to find additional blood drives, visit LifeSouth Community Blood Centers’ website.