SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- Give blood for a beer! This summer the Blood Bank of Delmarva is partnering with seven local breweries. The goal is to invite people to give blood, and in return, get discounts on beer.
"You know people need it and you've got to do what you got to do. You've got to help out everybody. One day it might be you who needs it," said Don Smith, a regular blood donor. Right now the need for blood is great. A blood emergency was declared at the beginning of the summer. "The 7 day supply is not where it needs to be. We are less than half that for some of our key blood types like O+ and O-. We've been climbing out of that whole slowly but surely," said Tony Prado with the Blood Bank of Delmarva. 7 local breweries are stepping up to help the cause. Each is offering different discounts. If you donate at any donation site and bring your receipt to crooked hammock, you can enjoy money off your next beer. In honor of the event, each brewery involved created a beer called "You're So Vein". The brew is different at each location but they all have one thing in common, each includes blood orange. Crooked Hammock created a blood orange sour. "Nice and tart, a little bit sweet. You can see it on our menu with a shout-out to the blood bank and the need so we are hoping to drag some people in," said Tom Little with Crooked Hammock. Wherever you buy "You're So Vein", proceeds are donated to the Blood Bank of Delmarva. "We rely on the generosity of donors to literally open up a vein for us. I promise it's not that bad! But because you cannot manufacture blood outside of the human body, and so that's why blood drives like today are so important," said Prado. The Blood Bank of Delmarva will be at various breweries the rest of the summer. View the full list of dates and breweries
here.