Pediatric patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis will be the recipients of holiday-themed plush stuffed polar bears in Lifeblood’s “Bears for Le Bonheur” holiday donation program, which runs through Dec. 21.
Lifeblood is kicking off the 2016 holiday season with a special holiday promotion for its donors. For each donor that gives blood or platelets December 1-21, Lifeblood will donate a stuffed polar bear to a Le Bonheur patient. Donors will have the opportunity to sign a tag that will then be attached to a stuffed polar bear and delivered to patients. Donors will also receive a long-sleeve, “Pay it Forward” T-shirt, while supplies last.
Donations may be made at any of Lifeblood’s five neighborhood donor centers or at a mobile blood drive. To find a nearby donation location, visit clublifeblood.org and enter your ZIP code.
“Together with our donors, we are hoping to reach hundreds of children being treated at Le Bonheur with stuffed animals,” says Mitzi Breaux, Marketing and Communications Manager for Lifeblood. “Many patients at Le Bonheur use blood donated by our local donors, and this is just one more way we can bring a little cheer to children during their hospital stay this holiday season.”
During the winter months, Lifeblood typically experiences a decrease in blood donations when donors take time off work and are traveling, but the hospitals’ need for blood is year-round. Not only will “Bears for Le Bonheur” be giving a toy to pediatric patients, but it will also ensure that all local patients have a safe and stable blood supply this holiday season. In December 2015, Lifeblood donated 500 stuffed animals to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital patients. This year, they are hoping to surpass that number.
