Red Cross offers Super Bowl ticket drawing for blood donors

The American Red Cross is holding a sweepstakes that enters people who donate blood or platelets between Jan. 1 and Jan. 25 for a chance to win a trip to Super Bowl LX, and the nonprofit said it faces a growing risk of a post-holiday blood shortage.

The American Red Cross announced a sweepstakes that will enter blood and platelet donors into a drawing for a trip to Super Bowl LX. The nonprofit said its national blood inventory was strained after December, with donations falling short of demand. Officials reported that blood products are being distributed faster than new donations are arriving. The sweepstakes runs during National Blood Donor Month in January. Key facts: - The Red Cross said it is facing a growing risk of a blood shortage and that distribution of blood products has outpaced incoming donations. - Donors who give blood or platelets between Jan. 1 and Jan. 25 are automatically entered in the sweepstakes, the organization announced. - The prize package, as described by the Red Cross, includes event access, tickets to the Super Bowl Experience, round-trip travel, three nights of hotel lodging, and a $1,000 gift card for the winner and a guest. - The organization cited cold weather, holiday schedules and seasonal illnesses in December as factors that reduced donations and strained the national inventory. - The Red Cross said past contests have helped bring in more than 150,000 first-time donors and noted that a single pint of blood can help multiple patients. Summary: The Red Cross is using the sweepstakes to encourage donations amid reported post-holiday shortages, with the entry period running Jan. 1–25 and Super Bowl LX scheduled for Feb. 8. The organization described current inventory pressures and planned the promotion for National Blood Donor Month, and further developments were not detailed beyond the announced sweepstakes timeline.