Aug. 2 blood drive set in Corbin; Aug. 4 blood drive set in W’burg

Whether you live in the Corbin or Williamsburg areas, you will have the chance next week to help the Kentucky Blood Center (KBC) shore up its low blood supply this summer, which could save someone’s life.

If that isn’t enough to make you want to donate blood, donors also get the chance to win a free SUV during a national vehicle inventory shortage.

At the halfway point of KBC’s “Summer Getaway Giveaway,” KBC is offering donors, who are ages 18 and older, an opportunity to win a 2022 Toyota RAV4 with its annual summer vehicle giveaway. Registered donors will be entered for the grand prize with each donation at any KBC mobile drive or donor center between now and Sept. 10.

KBC will hold a blood drive in Corbin on Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 12:30 – 5:30 p.m. in the Parkway Ministries Fellowship Room, which is located at 510 Cumberland Gap Parkway.

KBC will hold a blood drive in Williamsburg on Thursday, Aug. 4, from 1 – 5:30 p.m. at the Williamsburg Tourism & Convention Center, which is located at 650 South 10^th Street.

Donors, who donate in July and August at either of these events, will also receive a “Giving is Good” T-shirt, and a $10 Walmart gift card.

“KBC needs eligible donors to step up now more than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on donations over the last two years, but the demand for blood from the 70-plus hospitals KBC serves in Kentucky never slowed down. Ranging from anything from cancer treatments to premature births, surgeries, car accidents and more, one in four people will need a transfusion in their life,” KBC wrote in a release. “Adding strain to the already low blood supply, summer is traditionally a slow time of the year for donations because schools are closed and families travel for vacation.”

Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health, show a photo identification and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at kybloodcenter.org.

Appointments are preferred and walk-ins are welcome. To schedule a donation, visit kybloodcenter.org or call 1-800-775-2522.