“Driven to Assist” to Aid Utah Hospitals with Needed Units of Blood
SANDY, UT (May 27, 2020) – The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies (LHM Group) and the American Red Cross today announced a public, week-long blood drive at Vivint Smart Home Arena, the home of the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, to help support Utah’s hospitals during COVID-19.
The “Driven to Assist” blood drive is by appointment only and runs Monday, June 1 through Friday, June 5, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The public is encouraged to schedule one of the nearly 1,000 available appointments at RedCrossBlood.org, using sponsor code LHM.
“We know that emergencies and health conditions will continue to impact Utahns during the pandemic,” said Greg Miller, director for the LHM Group. “Just one unit of blood can help as many as three people. If we can do our part to enable blood donations during these five days, we know that we can help save countless lives. Our mission at Larry H. Miller is to enrich lives, and we are happy to be able to open up Vivint Smart Home Arena to provide a safe venue for this act of service.”
All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. Donors must be at least 16 years of age (with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and in generally good health.
“The American Red Cross now has an urgent need for blood donations to prevent another blood shortage as hospitals resume non-urgent and elective procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Red Cross Regional Executive Heidi Ruster. “Healthy individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood. Please join us along with incredible community leaders like the LHM Group at Vivint Smart Home Arena next week. The process is simple and can save up to three lives. Thanks so much for support of this very important drive.”
Each American Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. Precautions to ensure the health of staff and donors include:
- Providing temperature checks of staff and donors before entering a drive
- Providing hand sanitizer before entering the drive and during the donation process
- Enforcing social distancing between donors, including in the entry, donation, and refreshment areas
- Ensuring that both staff and donors wear face masks, coverings, or both
- Disinfecting surfaces, equipment, and donor touched areas on a routine basis
- Wearing gloves and changing gloves often
- Using sterile collection sets and an aseptic scrub for every donation
Donors are encouraged to utilize the American Red Cross’ RapidPass® and complete the online, pre-donation questionnaire on the day of their appointment to save up to 15 minutes at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App, and sponsor code LHM.
Please bring an acceptable form of ID. To expedite entry and to reduce screening touchpoints, bags (including purses and diaper bags) are not allowed at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Free parking is available at Park Place (lot entrance located on 300 West between North Temple and South Temple streets).
“This is a great opportunity for the community to come together and do something good during this time of stress,” said Dr. Angela Dunn, state epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health.
In addition to the American Red Cross, other community partners of the “Driven to Assist” campaign include the Utah Department of Health, ARUP, HCA Healthcare, Intermountain Healthcare, Steward Health Care, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Alliance.
