Kentucky Blood Center offers movie tickets to boost donations during holiday shortage
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Kentucky Blood Center is offering a special incentive this holiday season to encourage blood donations as supplies run critically low across the state.
From Dec. 17 through Dec. 31, donors who give blood at any of Kentucky Blood Center’s eight donor centers will receive movie tickets, covering a trip to the theater for two. The offer comes as KBC works to recover from an estimated 200 lost donations in recent days due to weather-related cancellations and closures.
Officials say a combination of winter weather, seasonal illnesses, and the busy holiday schedule has significantly reduced donor turnout. The early start of winter disruptions has strained the blood supply that supports more than 70 hospitals across Kentucky.
All blood types are currently needed, but KBC says inventories of O-negative, O-positive, and A-negative blood are at critical levels. A critical supply means the organization has less than a half day of blood products available to serve hospitals across Central and Eastern Kentucky.
Kentucky Blood Center officials say donating blood is one of the most direct ways to make a local impact during the holiday season. A whole blood donation typically takes less than an hour from registration to refreshments and can help save up to three lives. With supplies low, donations are expected to have an immediate impact on patients in need.
Most KBC donor centers are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Centers will be closed on Christmas Day but open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Kentucky Blood Center operates eight donor centers located in six cities: Lexington, Louisville, Corbin, Frankfort, Pikeville, and Somerset. Movie tickets will be provided for a local theater based on the donor center’s location.
Officials note that one in four people will need a blood transfusion during their lifetime. As the largest FDA-licensed nonprofit blood bank in Kentucky, KBC supplies blood for a wide range of treatments at local hospitals and serves as the exclusive blood provider for UK HealthCare, Baptist Health, CHI Saint Joseph, Appalachian Regional Healthcare, and others.
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old, or 16 with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health, show a photo ID, and meet additional eligibility requirements. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.
