CLEVELAND — Editors Note: The video in the player above is from a Verify story previously published.
In an effort to save lives this holiday season, the American Red Cross, in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, is hosting a blood drive at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Holiday activities, inclement weather and seasonal illnesses make the winter months the most challenging for the Red Cross to collect enough blood donations.
To maintain a stable blood supply for patients who rely on lifesaving transfusions, they will be hosting a blood drive on Tuesday, December 14 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Donors will receive a commemorative t-shirt, free Cleveland Monsters and Cleveland Charge tickets and an exclusive Cleveland Cavaliers ticket offer. According to representatives, donors will also be entered into a raffle to win an autographed Cavaliers item.
Free street parking will be available in the Gateway Complex on East 6th and Eagle Avenue. All donors and staff will be required to wear a mask inside the arena.
According to a release from the Cleveland Cavaliers, 12 blood drives have been held at the arena since March 2020, collecting 1,004 pints of blood to help save more than 3,000 lives.
The Red Cross strongly encourages donors to schedule an appointment before showing up to donate. Walk-ins will be accommodated throughout the day. To sign up for an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code: ROCKET or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.