LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Ethan Williams said he'd never given blood before doing so on Monday morning.
After donating, he said, "My wife mentioned that they were doing a Kings Island ticket giveaway for it."
His wife was right. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, Kentucky Blood Center donors will receive a free pass for Cincinnati's amusement park. The pass can be used on any day this summer, up to and including Labor Day.
"It's our biggest promotion of the year," said Mandy Brajuha with KBC. "I can tell you if you came in on any other Monday you would not see a packed lobby," she continued.
Their Beaumont location in Lexington was pretty crowded by 9:30 a.m., and not a moment too soon as there was a dangerous shortage of the most needed blood type last week.
"They go through that very quickly in a trauma situation, so there will never likely be a situation where a blood center says, 'we have enough O-negative on the shelves," Brajuha stated.
Summer schedules tend to throw donation centers into short supply as donors fall into a different routine, and unfortunately, that coincides with the time of year when blood is most needed.
"Many people are doing more risk-taking behaviors," Brajuha said of the summer months. She hopes this promotion will get people out to donate before the inevitable downtime of summer.
"This gives us a head start. All of this blood will be processed and on the shelves before the (Memorial Day) holiday," she said.
The promotion may have inadvertently generated at least one new regular donor.
"It's a very clean environment; everyone is really kind. Feels really good to make a difference," Williams said when asked if he'd consider donating again.
