Coyotes Partner with Vitalant to Host Hispanic Heritage Month Blood Drive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, October 8, 2020
GLENDALE, ARIZONA -- The Arizona Coyotes, Gila River Arena and Dignity Health announced today that the team has partnered with Vitalant and Streets of New York to host a community blood drive as part of Hispanic Heritage Month on October 11 and 12 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Coyotes President & CEO Xavier Gutierrez will kick off the blood drive at 8 a.m on Sunday, October 11.

"As a part of our comprehensive initiatives to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we are proud to partner with Vitalant, Dignity Health and Gila River Arena on this important blood drive," said Gutierrez. "Giving back to the community and helping those in need is a top priority for us. We encourage all of our fans to support this drive on October 11 and 12 at Gila River Arena."
Almost 60 percent of the Hispanic population has type O blood, which is the universal donor. Type O can be substituted for other blood types in emergency and trauma situations, as well as when shortages of other blood types arise. Be the Match will also be at the blood drive to share information regarding bone marrow matches.
Gila River Arena has implemented the VenueShield program which requires guests to follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask at all times. It is recommended that donors make an appointment at vitalant.org/Coyotes prior to the event date to avoid waiting in long lines. 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.
Vitalant is testing all blood donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The test indicates if the donor's immune system has produced antibodies to the virus, regardless of whether they ever showed symptoms. While a positive antibody test does not indicate if someone has COVID-19, it does mean that they may be eligible to donate convalescent plasma and help people who are still recovering from coronavirus infection. Blood donors can log onto their Vitalant confidential donor portal to access test results within two weeks after their donation. For more information, visit vitalant.org/antibodytest.
Convalescent plasma donations are encouraged Oct. 11 - 12 at Gila River Arena. The Arizona patient need for convalescent plasma is currently outpacing donations by 44 percent, which is the only FDA-approved antibody treatment available to COVID-19 patients who are critically ill in the hospitals. To donate convalescent plasma, recovered COVID-19 patients must meet eligibility requirements, including a prior laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19, either by a positive swab test or a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. They must also be symptom-free for at least 28 days and meet all additional FDA requirements for automated plasma donations. Potential convalescent plasma donors should schedule a whole blood appointment at vitalant.org/coyotes. For more information about convalescent plasma donations, visit
vitalant.org/COVIDfree
.
"Since the beginning of the pandemic, school and business closures caused the cancellation of over 500 blood drives resulting in the loss of more than 17,000 donations," said Sid Lewis, Sr. Director of Donor Recruitment for Vitalant's Southwest Division. "With many schools holding virtual classes or unable to host on-site blood drives, it is not known when the blood drive schedule can return to normal levels. Donors of all blood types are needed to fill the gap, especially O-negative, the universal donor."
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 Dignity Health in Arizona
Dignity Health in Arizona includes six acute care hospitals: Chandler Regional Medical Center, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, which includes Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Westgate Medical Center, Arizona General Hospital Laveen and Arizona General Hospital Mesa. From this foundation, Dignity Health in Arizona has expanded into a comprehensive health care system, which includes imaging centers, clinics, specialty hospitals, urgent cares, insurance providers, an accountable care organization and other clinical partnerships. The Dignity Health Medical Group includes hundreds of physicians in Arizona and a wide range of specialties. Dignity Health in Arizona is part of Dignity Health, one of the nation's largest health care systems.
www.dignityhealth.org/Arizona
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