The St Louis Ambush, members of the Major Arena Soccer League, hosted the blood drive on June 12, 2020 at the St. Charles Family Arena. 53 donors attended the blood drive, 45 of whom were able to donate at least a full unit of blood under Red Cross health and safety standards. For 16 of those people, donating with the Ambush was their first experience giving blood.
Kylee Vierling, a Donor Recruitment Account Representative with the American Red Cross, stated that 16 first-time donors is the most she has seen so far from one drive. She said, “There are now 16 new people that are thinking about the importance of giving blood and could now turn into regular donors.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, 9,000 blood drives around the country have been canceled, resulting in about 300,000 fewer donations. The 45 donors were able to save up to 135 lives during a period where donations are urgently needed.
The Red Cross stressed that blood donation is safe and extra precautions were taken during the Ambush blood drive to protect the health of the donors, staff and volunteers. From enhanced disinfecting measures during the drive to social distancing in the waiting area and between donation beds, the Ambush and Family Arena followed Red Cross and Center for Disease Control safety recommendations.
The Ambush hosted the drive to bring together the community for a common goal after weeks of social distancing and decreased blood donations. Ambush Head Coach Hewerton, General Manager Jeff Locker and Ambush players Lucas Almeida, Pepe Junqueira and Trent Dardick attended the drive to meet donors and take pictures in a socially distant photo booth.
To thank donors for their time and commitment to the community, the Ambush raffled off over 30 prizes after the drive. Some prizes were donated by Ambush sponsors, while other items like team merchandise and ticket vouchers were donated by the Ambush team.
A recap video of the blood drive can be found on the Ambush YouTube channel.
The Ambush will kick off their 2020-21 season this fall. Season tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by calling the Ambush office at 636-477-6363. For up-to-date information of Ambush news during the off-season, follow the team on their official website, stlambush.com and on social media.
