MEDIA ADVISORY

What: Blood Drive with the Baltimore Orioles, the American Red Cross and MedStar Health

When: Nov. 12, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (media window from 11 a.m. to noon)

Where: The Warehouse at Camden Yards, 6th floor

333 West Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

Donors who come to a special blood drive on Wednesday, Nov. 12 with the Baltimore Orioles and MedStar Health – the Orioles’ trusted medical team – will help save lives, while enjoying one of the best views in the city, overlooking home plate at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

This month kicks off the season of giving, and blood donors who roll up a sleeve can give a priceless gift that means everything to patients in need. The American Red Cross urges donors to make an appointment to give blood or platelets ahead of the holidays to help curb a drop in donor turnout this fall. Donors with O positive, O negative and B negative blood types are especially needed now.

Wednesday’s blood drive will take place at the Warehouse at Camden Yards, 6th floor, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (333 West Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201). Media are invited to attend from 11 a.m. to noon (please RSVP to Scott.Marder2@redcross.org).

Free parking will be available in Lot C for attendees and the Orioles and MedStar Health will be raffling off three prize packs for donors that include Orioles merchandise.

“In this season of giving, taking a few moments to donate blood can provide life-changing help to a person in need,” said Bradley S. Chambers, senior vice president, and chief operating officer for the Baltimore region, MedStar Health. “We thank the American Red Cross and the Baltimore Orioles for their unwavering partnership in improving the health and wellness of communities we serve.”

“We are honored to once again partner with our friends at the American Red Cross and MedStar Health to give back to our community,” shared Kerry R. Watson, Jr., Orioles Executive Vice President, Public Affairs. “Donating blood is always meaningful, but doing it inside the iconic Camden Yards Warehouse makes it just a bit more special. Orioles fans are some of the most generous in the game, and we encourage them to be part of this special opportunity to make a difference.” To make an appointment to donate, please go to RedCrossBlood.org and enter zip code 21201.

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a lifesaving blood transfusion. Whether blood is needed for a chronic condition, such as sickle cell disease, a surgical procedure or a large-scale emergency, it’s the blood already on the shelves that helps save lives, and donations are needed throughout the year to keep up the blood supply for patients in need.

Red Cross offers A1C testing in November

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. To help empower blood donors, the American Red Cross is offering free A1C testing, commonly used to screen for prediabetes and diabetes, for all successful donations in the month of November (one result per donor in a 12-month period).

Since March, the Red Cross has performed about 550,000 A1C tests, empowering donors with vital health insights. Of those, about 145,000 individuals were notified of concerning A1C levels – potential indicators of chronic conditions like prediabetes and diabetes.

Fasting is not required for the A1C test, which measures an individual’s average blood sugar levels over the past three months. It’s always important to eat a nutritious meal before giving blood or platelets. To learn more about understanding diabetes as a blood donor, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Diabetes.

Blood donor eligibility

To donate blood, a Red Cross blood donor card, driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

A little care goes a long way

As a thank you, those who come to give with the American Red Cross Oct. 27-Nov. 16 will receive $20 in e-gift cards to a choice of merchants, plus automatic entry for a chance to win one of three $5,000 gift cards. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Harvest.

About the Baltimore Orioles:

Since moving to Baltimore in 1954, the Orioles have become an institution in the city they call home. Over the past 70 years, the Baltimore Orioles have become one of the most storied franchises in all of Major League Baseball, winning three World Series Championships, 10 Division Titles, with the most recent coming in 2023, and calling The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball™ home. The Orioles are proud to give back to the community, focusing their year-round philanthropic efforts on two distinct pillars: Strengthening Our Community and Empowering Our Youth, while generating more than $10 billion in economic impact since 1992, and acting as a catalyst for tourism for the City of Baltimore and State of Maryland.

About MedStar Health:

At MedStar Health, we use the best of our minds and the best of our hearts to serve our patients, those who care for them, and our communities. Our 30,000 associates and 4,000 affiliated physicians are committed to living this promise through our core SPIRIT values—Service, Patient first, Integrity, Respect, Innovation, and Teamwork—across our more than 300 locations including 10 hospitals, ambulatory, and urgent care centers. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University, MedStar Health is training future physician leaders to care for the whole person, and is advancing care through the MedStar Health Research Institute. From our telemedicine and urgent care services to the region’s largest home health agency, we’re committed to providing high-

quality health care that’s also easy and convenient for our patients. At MedStar Health—It’s how we treat people. Learn more at MedStarHealth.org.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcrossblood.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on social media.

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