January is National Blood Donor Month.
In an effort to boost donations to start the new year, Whole Foods Market and Bloodworks Northwest (formerly Puget Sound Blood Center) are partnering to host a series of blood drives, with a little extra reward for those who donate.
Each person that registers to give blood — a process that takes less than a hour, and can potentially save three lives — will receive a complimentary 12-ounce bag of Raven’s Brew coffee as part of the “Keeping Our Communities Whole” program.
On Jan. 5, the Whole Foods in Interbay (2001 15th Ave. W.) will host one of the 18 drives taking place in Western Washington and Oregon, with slots available from noon to 5:30 p.m.
“As the Northwest’s leading community blood center, we strive to keep our communities whole and healthy by providing blood for patients in local hospitals every day,” said Clint Kendrick, senior director of Blood Services, in a statement. “We’re excited to partner with Whole Foods Market to encourage more people to donate blood, and to ensure that local hospitals are well-supplied during the challenging winter months.”
Bloodworks provides blood to nearly 100 hospitals in the region, and donations will help trauma victims, treat cancer patients, and those receiving organ or bone marrow transplants.
For a list of participating blood drives around Seattle, or to schedule a donation, call 1-800-398-7888, or go to www.bloodworksnw.org/WFM.