Coyotes & Gila River Arena Partner with Vitalant to Host Blood Drive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Saturday, May 23, 2020

GLENDALE, ARIZONA -- The Arizona Coyotes and Gila River Arena announced today that the team has partnered with Vitalant and Streets of New York to host a community blood drive on May 27 and 28 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

To ensure that social distancing is in place, donors are recommended to make an appointment at vitalant.org/Coyotes prior to the event date and will be required to bring and wear a mask. Donors will enter Gila River Arena at the far east door of Gate 4. Parking will be available in Lot G on the east side of the arena.

Coyotes President of Hockey Operations & GM John Chayka will be kicking off the event with a blood donation on Wednesday, May 27 at 8:00 a.m. Head Coach Rick Tocchet as well as forward Brad Richardson and defenseman Jason Demers will also be donating blood that morning between 8 and 8:30 a.m.

Due to safety measures implemented because of the Coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of blood drives across Arizona were cancelled over the past two months. "Patient blood needs have substantially increased now that elective surgeries are resuming across our state, said Sid Lewis, Sr. Director of Donor Recruitment for Vitalant's Southwest Division. "Every day, patients continue to depend on blood transfusions for surgery, transplants, cancer treatment and ongoing medical needs." Vitalant is Arizona's largest non-profit community provider responsible for fulfilling 100% of Maricopa County and 90% of statewide blood needs.

Blood donations are expected to decline by as much as 25% during the Memorial holiday week. While donors of all blood types are needed, O-negative is always in greatest demand.

Donors at the Arizona Coyotes Gila River Arena blood drive on May 27 - 28 will help Arizona kids like 5-year-old Nathan, who is alive today because of more than 80 blood donors. Nathan was born with a rare disorder that causes his red blood cells to rapidly break apart. Every three weeks, he relies on the generosity of strangers to donate lifesaving blood - a need that will most likely continue the rest of his life.

In appreciation for helping during this crucial time for patients, the blood drive sponsors are expressing their gratitude with the following thank you gifts for donors:

About Vitalant

Vitalant ("Vye-TAL-ent") is a national community blood service provider, supplying comprehensive transfusion medicine services for nearly 1,000 hospitals and health care partners for patients in need across 40 states. Vitalant inspires local communities to serve the needs of others and transform lives through the selfless act of donating blood. Every day, almost 5,000 blood donations are needed to meet the needs of people throughout the country, and Vitalant's 800,000 donors supply 1.8 million donations a year. In addition to blood products, Vitalant offers customers transfusion services, medical consulting, quality guidance, ongoing education, research and more. For more information and to schedule a donation, visit vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). Join the conversation about impacting the lives of others on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To learn more about Vitalant's COVID-19 efforts, visit vitalant.org/COVIDfree

About Gila River Arena

Gila River Arena is a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility situated on 13.5 acres in the City of Glendale, Arizona. The Arena is home to the Arizona Coyotes NHL Hockey team and entertains over one-million visitors annually through concerts, family shows and sporting events. The arena anchors the Westgate Entertainment District located on 223 acres for shopping, dining, entertainment and commercial offices. www.gilariverarena.com