The American Red Cross and the Columbus Blue Jackets continue their annual September tradition of collecting lifesaving blood products and providing Blue Jackets fans with a special ticket offer and chances to win weekly prize packs. The campaign spans the entire month of September and the special ticket offer is available to every blood donor in the region.

Fans get the chance to donate at the home of the Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena, on Thursday, September 10. The drive runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Activity Center of the arena. To make an appointment go to www.redcrossblood.org, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and use the sponsor code: CBJGivesBack.

All blood donors in the region from September 1-30 will receive an exclusive ticket offer for select Blue Jackets games and will be entered into weekly drawings for a Columbus Blue Jackets prize pack each week in September.

Every two seconds in the United States blood is needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. The Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,500 hospitals nationwide.