JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars and OneBlood teamed up for the 3rd Annual Tealgate Blood Drive on Saturday to draw in blood donors at TIAA Bank Field.
“During the uncertainty of 2020, we can all play a role in caring for the health and well-being of our neighbors here in Northeast Florida,” said Peter Racine of the Jaguars Foundation. “Donating blood is a life-saving gift and something we can all contribute. We’re proud to support OneBlood and encourage our fans to donate on Nov. 14 at TIAA Bank Field.”
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Successful blood donors received a ticket to an upcoming Jaguars regular-season game, a OneBlood facemask, and a free wellness checkup, including a COVID-19 antibody test.
The drive ran from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the East Club side of the stadium.
The U.S. Surgeon General and the FDA have stated that it remains safe to donate blood and that it is safe to attend blood drives.
All blood centers are regulated by the FDA and must follow strict guidelines on how they operate. OneBlood meets all FDA guidelines and all team members follow strict safety protocols including:
- All OneBlood staff are required to wear masks.
- All blood donors are asked to wear a mask. If a blood donor does not have a mask, one will be supplied to the donor.
- All OneBlood phlebotomists wear medical gloves that are changed for each donation.
- Blood donors should follow the guidelines for wearing masks in the county where the blood drive is taking place.
- All donor-touched areas and equipment are disinfected after every donation. This includes, donor beds, registration tablets, blood-pressure cuff and hemoglobin sensors.
- A sterile collection set is used for every donation.
- Every donor receives a mini-physical that includes a temperature check to ensure donors are healthy and well on the day of donation.
- Only people who are healthy are eligible to donate blood.
Social Distancing at Blood Drives and Donor Centers
OneBlood has implemented additional social distancing safety protocols including:
- Blood Drives: Only a certain number of people will be permitted on the Big Red Bus at any one time. Donors will be asked to provide their cellphone number so they can wait in their car or outside the bloodmobile. They will be called when it is their turn to come aboard the bus to donate blood.