Comic-Con blood drive returns, drawing critical summer donations

The Robert A Heinlein blood drive by San Diego Blood Bank gives away free limited-edition T-shirts for Comic-Con goers looking to donate blood Photo by Gabrielle Wallace Times of San Diego San Diego Blood Bank is capitalizing on the thousands of people flocking to the city for Comic-Con this long weekend running its annual Robert A Heinlein blood drive The drive began in and is now in its th year Heinlein a prominent science fiction writer known for Stranger in a Strange Land among numerous other works developed peritonitis in The robustness complication caused swelling in his stomach lining and he required multiple blood transfusions While Heinlein attended meager conventions he was invited to Comic-Con and mentioned he would come on one condition When he was inquired to come to the first Comic-Con he revealed he would but only if they would hold a blood drive while he was here And you know years later here we are stated Claudine Von Gonka of the San Diego Blood Bank While the blood drive only brought in a couple of hundred pints of blood in its early years it has grown tremendously since Last year according to Gonka the drive brought in just under pints This year its goal is to break pints A big pull for the blood drive beyond the opportunity to give back and help others is the limited-edition shirts the blood bank gives away Each year donors get a free limited-edition Marvel T-shirt with their blood donation Last year it was Wolverine and Deadpool themed This year s shirt sports the Fantastic Four logo for Fantastic Four First Strategies the film which opened in the United States on Thursday I really like the Fantastic Four kind of logo Joe Alvarez a donor commented I almost wasn t gonna donate this year because we had a lot of stuff going on But I saw that T-shirt that really made me want to come just specifically for that shirt The shirt is such a big pull every year that the San Diego Blood Bank makes sure to order extra And regulars come each year just for the shirts which are specially designed in collaboration with Marvel and the blood bank If you can t make the five-day blood drive however you can still get the shirt as a donor gift if you donate before the end of August The influx of donations from Comic-Con is critical in the summer months Gonka noted She explained that the high school and college partners that host blood drives are on break they typically account for about of the San Diego Blood Bank s collection Summer vacations also slow down donations due to temporary holds on donors who excursion abroad We have this blood drive in July in connection with Comic-Con but then we try to extend it through August just to make sure that we have enough blood on the shelf for the patients who are going to need it Gonka declared The drive s popularity means it s an all-hands-on-deck situation for blood bank staff Employers of every level and every department are working around the clock to make sure things run smoothly But they still have their fun during the drive as well The nursing staff dresses up in different themes each day of the drive according to Gonka And the staff gets to interact with blood transfusion recipients which doesn t happen every day This heartwarming encounters bring enjoyment to the blood drive employees amidst the hustle and bustle of the day It s a huge point of pride for everyone on staff People definitely get really kind of revved up and excited to be a part of it Gonka disclosed The drive no doubt makes for an thought-provoking spectacle While not everyone is in costume as they get their blood drawn Gonka noted she s seen a Wonder Woman in the chair before While selected donors like Alvarez are attending the convention others are just looking for things to do that are Comic-Con related Tiffany Bailey used to be an avid Comic-Con attendee in the early s but has since dialed back She waited in line to donate on Thursday as a prelude to a Barbie Cafe experience with her daughter It was Bailey s first time donating at the Heinlein blood drive but not her first time in the donation chair Bailey is a retired nurse and started donating blood to get over her own fear of needles She declared she had no matter poking people but she doesn t love being on the receiving end And she may not have a Comic-Con pass this year but she still plans to enjoy all the convention has to offer We came to people watch in the modern day So if I m gonna donate blood why not have something to look at she commented while waiting in line The drive started on Comic-Con preview day and runs through Sunday For those looking to donate for a collectible T-shirt or for the people-watching the drive is open from a m to p m through Saturday and a m to p m Sunday at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Walk-ins are welcome but you can also make an appointment ahead of time to decrease wait time