Cascade Regional Blood Services calls on gamers to boost blood supplies

Young people tend to donate less blood than their older counterparts.

June 20, 2019 11:00 am
Rallying for a good cause, the community turned out Saturday for a blood drive in downtown Enumclaw. The mobile center from Bloodworks Northwest was on hand, with technicians taking blood from donors like local resident Andy Bremmeyer, pictured here. The drive was organized by downtown business owner Heather Invie, who befriended Tricia Foerster. It was Foerster’s dependence upon blood donors that spurred the decision to make a difference. Photo by Kevin Hanson
Rallying for a good cause, the community turned out Saturday for a blood drive in downtown Enumclaw. The mobile center from Bloodworks Northwest was on hand, with technicians taking blood from donors like local resident Andy Bremmeyer, pictured here. The drive was organized by downtown business owner Heather Invie, who befriended Tricia Foerster. It was Foerster’s dependence upon blood donors that spurred the decision to make a difference. Photo by Kevin Hanson

The following is a press release from Cascade Regional Blood Services.

Patients across the nation are in trouble. The pool of donors providing millions of Americans with life-saving blood is declining at a detrimental rate. Roughly 45 percent of the nation’s blood donors are over 50 years old, and as the population ages, it gets harder to maintain the levels needed to save lives.

This World Blood Donor Day, celebrated June 14, Cascade Regional Blood Services is highlighting the critical need for regular blood donations. And to help engage a new generation of young donors, Cascade Regional Blood Services has partnered with Team Liquid, a multi-regional, professional esports organization with a national fan base of more than seven million gamers.

The Cascade Regional Blood Services -Team Liquid partnership takes aim at a key demographic – less than 20 percent of blood donations come from millennials (age 20-34 years), and young males donate at even lesser rates.

“With less than 20 percent of blood donations coming from 20-34-year-olds, Cascade Regional Blood Services is excited to partner with esports and Team Liquid in an effort to encourage more donations from these key generational demographics. The 18-34 age groups is under represented as blood donors, and we are on a mission to educate this demographic about the importance of becoming a regular blood donor”, said Candy Morrison, Director of Communications and Community Relations for Cascade Regional Blood Services.

Potential blood donors can join Team Liquid and Cascade Regional Blood Services at select Team Liquid Blood Drives on Tuesdays from July 2 –through August 27 in one the three donor centers located in Tacoma, Puyallup, and Federal Way, or at specific Heal for Real blood drives. This exclusive campaign includes a limited edition ‘Team Liquid Turns Red’ t-shirt and the chance to win a Dell Alienware Gaming PC; valued at $900. The exclusive t-shirts will be offered to 150 donors that make an appointment online, keep the appointment, and state I am here to Heal for Real upon registration.

“We’re proud to partner with Blood Centers of America and its members on this life-saving initiative,” said Team Liquid’s CEO, Steve Arhancet. “Our fans are such a supportive, tight-knit community, and now we’re calling on them to help us accomplish something bigger than what we could achieve in any competition. Collectively, we have the opportunity to make a measurable impact on communities as well as save lives.”

The need for blood is significant. Every two seconds, an American needs blood. One whole pint of blood can save three or more lives. As the blood provider for the So. King and Pierce County area and the sole provider for MultiCare Health System Hospitals and Centers, Cascade Regional Blood Services ensures donated blood reaches patients at local hospitals and health systems nationwide.

“As part of a select group of blood centers across the nation, and the only one in the Pacific Northwest, to be invited to participate in Team Liquid’s Heal for Real campaign, we are honored to have been chosen, and feel a great sense of responsibility to reach this crucial demographic,” stated Morrison.