Palm Springs Leads 9 Cities Challenge Blood Drive

LA QUINTA — With 63 units of blood donated to date, Palm Springs is leading LifeStream Blood Bank’s 7th Annual Nine Cities Challenge Blood Drive.

There is still plenty of time to donate as the Nine Cities Challenge Blood Drive is in its second week.of a month-long challenge.

LifeStream Blood Bank, the exclusive provider of blood products and services to all Coachella Valley hospitals, is holding its 7th Annual Nine Cities Challenge Blood Drive throughout the month of July, with five featured donor locations set for this week July 8-14.

Donors receive a Nine Cities-themed baseball-style cap and a movie ticket unless otherwise indicated.

The initiative takes place against the backdrop of a severe community blood shortage that could place local patients’ well-being at risk.

“Our region can and must reach self-sufficiency for providing blood to our loved ones, friends, neighbors and colleagues,” said Dr. Rick Axelrod, LifeStream Blood Bank president/CEO and medical director. “Right now, our community supplies only 80 percent of the blood needed for our local hospitals.”

Seventh Annual July 9 Cities Challenge Blood Drive locations, July 8-14:

• Palm Desert
  Wednesday, July 10, 9 am – 3 pm, College of the Desert, Donald and Peggy Cravens Student Center, 43500 Monterey Avenue, Multipurpose Room, Palm Desert, CA 92260
• Saturday, July 13, 8 am – 2 pm, Palm Desert Community Center, 43900 San Pablo Avenue, Multipurpose Room, Palm Desert, CA 92260

Palm Springs
Wednesday, July 10, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm, College of the Desert*, 1300 E Baristo Road, Classroom PS05, Palm Springs, CA 92262

Coachella
Thursday, July 11, 12:30 – 6:30 pm, City of Coachella Library, 1500 6th Street, Meeting Rooms 1&2, Coachella, CA 92236

Cathedral City

• Friday, July 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cathedral City Senior Center, 37171 W Buddy Rogers Avenue, Cathedral City, CA 92234
• July 1-31, 7 am – 2:30 pm daily, except Wednesdays 10:30 am to 6 pm, 79-215 Corporate Centre Drive, La Quinta, CA 92253. Simply tell LifeStream personnel what city you’re donating on behalf of.

* Baseball-style cap and movie ticket not available at this drive.

Walk-ins are welcome at all locations. To set an appointment, call 800-879-4484 or click here.

The blood donation process is faster and easier than ever thanks to “ExpressPass.” The day of donation, go to LStream.org, click on “ExpressPass” and follow the prompts to complete the required pre-donation reading and donor questionnaire before arriving at the collection site.

Donors must be at least 15 years of age (15- and 16-year-olds require a signed parental consent form; forms are available at all drives); weigh at least 110 pounds; feel well; and present photo ID. Donors should maintain their regular meal schedules and increase their fluid intake (water is best) in the 24 hours prior to donating.

In addition to the main Nine Cities’ Challenge Blood drives, all LifeStream blood drives during July, including all businesses and organizations that organize their own drives, will count toward each city’s total. For additional mobile drive opportunities to assist your community during the challenge, contact LifeStream at 800-879-4484 or visit http://www.9CitiesChallenge.com.

Donations are tracked and posted weekly.. Click here to check the latest results by clicking here. Regardless of which community collects the most blood and earns the title “challenge champion,” the real winners are local patients in need and their loved ones.

The goal of the Nine Cities Challenge Blood Drive is to create a friendly competition among the valley’s cities, their workforce and residents – whereby the motivation to donate blood becomes an event with strong participation and goodwill.