The Washington Capitals and Inova Blood Donor Services will host a blood drive on Saturday, April 8, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. Appointments are required and can be made at WashCaps.com/DonateBlood. 

Donors at the blood drive will receive a bobblehead of defenseman Nate Schmidt as well as a Capitals T-shirt.

FROM CAPITALS MEDIA RELEASE
More than 250 units of blood and blood products are needed every day, year-round, for patients in area hospitals. One blood donation can save up to three lives, and there is a continual need for all blood types. There is no substitute for human blood. It only comes from volunteer blood donors. It is used to help trauma patients, surgery patients, newborn babies, cancer patients and transplant patients.

In order to make each donation go further, donors who know their blood type can select a specific donation type of double red cells, platelets and/or plasma based on the current needs of our community. If you have a blood type of O+, O-, A-, or B-, please be open to a donation type of double red cells. If you have a blood type of A+, AB+, AB-, or B+, please be open to a donation of platelets and/or plasma. By choosing a donation method that matches up with a donor’s blood type, we can make a maximum impact in the community. If you have questions regarding why one donation type is more beneficial for your blood type, please call 1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866-256-6372).

Donors can make an appointment now by calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866-256-6372) or by signing up online on the Inova Blood Donor Services website. All donors are asked to arrive at their scheduled appointment time.

To give blood, donors must be feeling generally well on the day of their donation, be at least 16 years old (with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated blood in the past eight weeks (56 days) for whole blood or 112 days for double red cells. For more information about eligibility requirements call 1-866-BLOODSAVES or visit http://www.Inova.org/DonateBlood.

Aspects of each potential donor’s health history are discussed as part of the donation process before any blood is collected. Each donor receives a brief examination during which temperature, blood pressure and hemoglobin (iron level) are measured.