"It's very important for us to be seen as a community leader," Gutierrez said. "There are a lot of folks out there with a lot of challenges going on right now during the pandemic. This is one of the many initiatives that we feel very, very strongly about."
Doan stressed the importance of helping local healthcare systems. Admittedly a bit timid when it comes to needles, Doan described donating blood as "an incredible opportunity to help others."
"We need it so badly in the Valley," Doan said. "Giving blood is such an essential part of the health service industry. And for people to come out and give, it's not difficult. It happens quickly. And when you're done, you know you've helped somebody out. You can really help save lives. I think that's what everyone's goal is, right?"
The blood drive is another initiative tied to the Coyotes' Hispanic Heritage Month community outreach.
"We are really trying to reach out to the Latino community," Gutierrez said. "It's very important for them to give blood. For them, I believe the percentage is very high in terms of having type O blood, which we'd like to have more of."
Many Hispanics have type O blood, the highest in demand. Type O red blood cells have no A, B or Rh antigens and therefore can be safely mixed with any other blood type.
Again, the Coyotes utilized Gila River Arena, donating the building's accessibility as a critical community resource.
"It's important for us to open up our home at Gila River Arena to do what we can," added Gutierrez. "We're really excited to partner with Dignity Health and have folks come out and come out to the blood drive."
Gila River Arena will soon again become a beneficial civic resource when it becomes an
official Vote Center
for the 2020 General Election. The arena will be open for voting October 28 through November 3, with free parking for registered Maricopa County voters.
