SALT LAKE CITY — To celebrate the month commonly associated with romance, one Utah organization is offering even more Taylor Swift tickets to those who donate blood or platelets during February.
Now, ARUP has their hands on two more tickets that they're giving away to a lucky donor who will get to see Taylor Swift in New Orleans later this year.
The organization is pulling out all the stops to try and get Utahns to donate their blood or platelets right now.
“There’s a nationwide shortage, so it’s not just us, all across the country, where we are seeing a large decrease in donors that we haven’t seen in quite a long time," explained Dr. Waseem Anani, Medical Director at ARUP Blood Services.
If you don't win Tay-Tay tickets, donors still get other prizes. Specifically, a $10 gift card for blood donation and $20 for platelets, which have a shorter shelf life but are critical in saving the lives of those battling cancer.
"That’s especially important for someone who is receiving chemotherapy because they are unable to produce their own platelets and platelets have a very short lifespan," Anani explained. "So we need a lot of platelet donors to come in order to keep up with the number up at the university.”
ARUP is hoping they attract more generous donors like Mark Myers, who has been a regular platelet donor for years.
"I think today is my 303rd donation. So I’m healthy, might as well," Myers exclaimed. "You can’t give a better gift at any price than this!”
Anybody who donates blood or platelets during February will be entered to win the two coveted tickets to the Eras Tour, all while giving the gift of life to those who need it.
“We got lucky snagging the two tickets," Anani said, "So we’re excited to give them away to someone who saves lives!”
ARUP Blood Services has two locations open seven days a week and walk-in blood donors are welcome:
- 9786 South 500 West in Sandy
- 565 Komas Drive in Salt Lake City
For more information, call 801-584-5272 or visit UtahBlood.org.
