by Cheryl Regan
City of Hope employees can help patients and have fun at the same time by participating in the City Fair blood drive on Aug. 24.
 City of Hope employees can donate blood and platelets through a loyalty program. (Photo by Walter Urie) |
Donors will receive a corn dog, chips and drink for lunch, as well as either popcorn or cotton candy. Participants also can play carnival games to win prizes.
Summer is an important time for employees to give blood because blood donations tend to decline during the season, said Jill Schwarz, manager of whole blood and platelet recruitment. City of Hope patients need more donated blood and platelets, on average, than those at any other California hospital.
City of Hope’s Employee Donor Loyalty Program offers employees time-off vouchers and gifts for donating blood or platelets. Employees can earn eight “loyalty hours” of paid time off by giving five donations during the program year, which lasts until Jan. 31, 2012. Loyalty gifts to employees include soup bowls, beach mats and reusable grocery bags. Other rewards for platelet donors include gift cards for gas and In-N-Out Burger, movie tickets and ice cream.
The drive will be held at the Michael Amini Transfusion Medical Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are required. To make an appointment, contact Latascha Johnson at ext. 61133 or ljohnson@coh.org.
