The Southcoast Blood Bank of New Bedford will be giving away three family four-packs of Providence Bruins tickets to blood donors during the month of February.

To thank and celebrate the critical role donors serve in ensuring that blood is available to patients in need, each donor will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win, and the three winners will be drawn during the first week of March.

“Southcoast is dependent on volunteer donors to meet the needs of patients,” said John Laverty, MD, Medical Director of the Southcoast Blood Bank. “[We're] proud to have so many donors who have committed to donating blood on a regular basis to help save the lives of their friends, neighbors, and members of their community.”

The Southcoast Blood Bank is the only local blood donor program that directly supports the communities of the South Coast region. When you donate at a Southcoast location, you could be saving a neighbor’s life.

Community blood drives in Wareham will happen at the following times and locations:

WAREHAM
Friday, February 3
Tobey Hospital
43 High Street
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

EAST WAREHAM
Wednesday, February 8
Wareham Lodge of Elks
2855 Cranberry Highway 
11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Further community blood drives happening in the region are listed below.

Walk-ins to the Southcoast Blood Bank are welcome Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 to 2:30 p.m. The Blood Bank is located at St. Luke’s Hospital, 101 Page Street, New Bedford, off the main lobby . For more information or to make an appointment call 508-961-5320. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org/bloodbank/.

Community Blood Drives: Southcoast hosts blood drives throughout the region on the Southcoast Health Van and at local businesses. The schedule can be found online at www.southcoast.org/van/ or by calling 508-961-5320.

Southcoast uses more than 16,000 pints of blood a year to help keep the local community blood supply strong. Currently the Southcoast Blood bank collects 6,500 pints a year through the local donor program - less than half of the blood needed to supply the three Southcoast hospitals. The remainder of the blood is purchased from external sources and is therefore dependent on the national blood supply.

In addition to emergency cases, blood is needed for people undergoing surgery and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or other diseases, such as sickle cell anemia and hemophilia.

Blood drives will also be held in the following locations:

SWANSEA
Sunday, February 5
CVS/Pharmacy
2340 GAR Highway 
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 


FALL RIVER
Friday, February 10
Fall River Government Center
One Government Center 
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

FALL RIVER
Thursday, February 16
Bristol Community College
777 Elsbree Street 
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

NORTH DARTMOUTH
Saturday, February 18
Dartmouth Bible Church
52 Morton Avenue
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

NEW BEDFORD
Thursday, February 23
YMCA
25 South Water Street 
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

FALL RIVER
Friday, February 24
Charlton Memorial Hospital
363 Highland Avenue
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

DARTMOUTH
Monday, February 27
Healthtrax
250 Faunce Corner Road
12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

SWANSEA
Tuesday, February 28
Swansea Ambulance
285 Wilbur Avenue
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.