Colts Fans Asked To ‘Bleed Blue’
Colts fans have one week left to register for the 13th annual Bleed Blue Blood Drive and Health Fair, which will take place Saturday, Dec. 8, at Lucas Oil Stadium. As the largest single-day blood drive in Indiana, this year’s event holds special meaning for the Colts community and Indiana Blood Center given Head Coach Chuck Pagano’s battle with leukemia.
Anyone who participates in the blood drive will receive a limited-edition Colts football, which in past years has included the likeness of a Colts player. The Colts and Indiana Blood Center agreed in the summer of 2012 to instead highlight the then newly-hired Coach Chuck Pagano on the commemorative football.
Indiana Blood Center ordered 14,000 of the regulation-sized NFL footballs with Coach Pagano’s image in July to ensure a stable blood supply for patients at Indiana hospitals throughout the holiday season. The footballs attract donors to the Bleed Blue Blood Drive kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium, at donor centers on select days in late-December and on limited mobile blood drives through January 2013.
Appointments for the Bleed Blue Blood Drive at Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec. 8 are strongly encouraged. In 2011, all 2,500 slots were filled in the weeks leading up to the event. To schedule a blood donation time between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., visit colts.com/bleedblue or call Indiana Blood Center at 800-632-4722.
The 2012 Bleed Blue Blood Drive and Health Fair will also include a free health fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with access to the field, half-price concessions, fitness classes hosted by the Y of Greater Indianapolis, appearances by Colts Cheerleaders, Blue and alumni players, free parking and much more. The event is designed to be family-friendly with free activities for all ages. To learn more, visit www.colts.com/bleedblue.