News & Events | Seahawks Save Lives

MARCH 24, 2001, SEATTLE — Seattle, WA - Puget Sound Blood Center is teaming up with the Seattle Seahawks for the Second Annual Seahawks Blood Drive and Marrow Donor Registration on Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Garfield High School Gym at 23rd and Jefferson in Seattle.

Special teams standout Charlie Rogers, defensive end Lamar King and Sea Gal Tanya Pablo are serving as spokespeople for the event. They, along with their teammates, will be on hand during the event to meet the crowd and sign autographs. The blood drive will also feature inflatable games, a face painter, a clown, player and Sea Gal autographs and giveaways.

Building a More Diverse Blood Supply
The Seahawks are lending their support to help meet a critical need to increase the ethnic diversity of the region's blood supply and a national need for a more diverse marrow registry.

"For years we've held events in the Central District that were designed as fun family activities," said Mike Flood, Seahawks VP of Community Outreach. "Once we learned about the critical need for people of color to give blood, we decided to turn the event into something lifesaving, as well as fun."

Mill Creek resident Leslie Buck is well aware of the need to have a diverse blood supply. Her 8-year-old son Ryan has sickle cell disease. To protect him from a stroke or other life-threatening effects of the condition, he undergoes a procedure each month called a blood exchange, in which all his red blood cells are removed and replaced with donated blood.

"Ryan's done so well with his transfusions - it makes such a difference," Leslie said. "It's incredible that they can improve a child's life so much."

"For patients needing transfusions for years on end, this can significantly compromise their chance of tolerating the needed transfusions," said Dr. Bender, director of the Sickle Cell Clinic at Odessa Brown Medical Center. "Thus, any improvement in the ability to find fully compatible blood will significantly help these patients."

The Puget Sound Blood Center requires approximately 900 blood donations each day to support patients in more than 70 hospitals and clinics in Western Washington. Giving blood is easy and only takes an hour. A pint of blood is drawn from each donor, an amount that can help save the lives of up to three people.

Bone marrow registration is another critical avenue for saving people from life threatening illnesses. During the 10-minute registration process, a small sample of blood is drawn and analyzed for tissue type. As a registered donor, your name will be placed in the national registry to use as a potential match for someone needing a bone marrow transplant.

Walk-ins are welcome, but donation appointments are encouraged. For information or to make an appointment to give blood, call 1-800-398-7888.

For more information, visit www.seahawks.com, www.psbc.org or call the Puget Sound Blood Center at 1-800-266-4033.