Rhode Island Blood Center announces partnership with 3x Olympian and Rhode Island native Elizabeth Beisel

This partnership comes at a vital time as the region is currently experiencing a blood  emergency 

Every second counts when saving lives.

RHODE ISLAND- Today, Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC) announced a blood emergency  following a summer of low donor turnout. Contributing to the shortage are the recent Labor Day  holiday, back-to-school activities, and a prolonged 50% decrease in youth and first-time donors. 

RIBC also announced a partnership with 3x Olympian and Rhode Island native Elizabeth Beisel.  As a team, RIBC and Elizabeth hope to inspire youth and first-time donors to roll up their  sleeves and give donating a try. 

“I’m absolutely thrilled to announce my partnership with Rhode Island Blood Center”, said Elizabeth Beisel, 3x Olympian. “This collaboration holds immense significance as it highlights  the vital importance of blood donations and the frequent demand for these lifesaving  contributions.” 

RIBC and Elizabeth are launching this collaboration to educate the community on the need for  all types of blood donors. If everyone who is eligible to donate blood commits to making this  lifesaving act once a year, we could end future blood shortages.  

“Elizabeth knows first-hand how every second counts in the pool. That mindset also matters  when it comes to saving lives”, said Caitlin Grimaldi-Flick, Marketing and Communications  Manager for Rhode Island Blood Center. “The sustained loss of youth and first-time donors  and fewer organizations hosting blood drives are all combining to have a devastating impact on  our local blood supply and the nation’s blood supply. It is vital that we have blood and blood  products available to ensure they can receive treatment when patients need it.”  

The mission to help save lives in our community is a cause close to Elizabeth’s heart. Her late  father was a loyal blood donor with RIBC.  

Elizabeth added, “Before my father's courageous battle with cancer, he selflessly donated over  six gallons of blood to Rhode Island Blood Center. His dedication to this cause has left an  indelible mark on my heart. Thus, joining forces with this organization holds a deeply personal  resonance, allowing me to honor my father's remarkable legacy while making a profound impact  on countless lives.” 

MEDIA OPPORTUNITY – Tuesday, September 19: Elizabeth, along with RIBC  representatives, will be available to speak with media at RIBC’s Warwick Donor Center (615  Greenwich Ave) on Tuesday September 19th at 9:30am.  

The region’s blood supply is well below the optimal 5-7 days and while all blood types are  needed, types O+, O-, B- and platelets are critically low. RIBC and Elizabeth value community, 

and there is no greater partnership than working together to help local patients in need of this  lifesaving product.  

To make an appointment call 401.453.8383 or visit ribc.org. 

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RHODE ISLAND BLOOD CENTER (RIBC) was founded in 1979 as a nonprofit community  blood center. For over 40 years, RIBC has been the primary supplier of blood and blood  products to patients being cared for in hospitals throughout Rhode Island and in neighboring  states. Our mission is to help save lives by ensuring a safe and plentiful blood supply to the  patients and hospitals we serve. RIBC is also part of the National Marrow Donor Program and  collects stem cells for transplant at its Providence location. RIBC provides therapeutic  treatments for patients in local hospitals. Our state-of-the-art laboratory performs donor testing  for over 400,000 donations per year. RIBC is also involved in various local and national  research programs to improve all aspects of the blood supply. RIBC is a division of New York  Blood Center, Inc. (a family of operating Divisions known as New York Blood Center  Enterprises). For more information, visit ribc.org. 

NEW YORK BLOOD CENTER ENTERPRISES/NEW YORK BLOOD CENTER was founded in  1964, New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) is one of the largest nonprofit, independent,  community blood centers in the world. Along with partner organizations Blood Bank of Delmarva  (BBD), Community Blood Center of Kansas City (CBC), Connecticut Blood Center (CTBC),  Memorial Blood Centers (MBC), Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB), and Rhode Island  Blood Center (RIBC), we collect approximately 4,000 units of blood products each day and  serve communities approaching 50 million people in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT), mid-Atlantic  area (PA, DE, MD), Kansas City metropolitan area, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and  Southern New England. NYBCe delivers lifesaving blood products and services as well as  clinical, medical, pharmaceutical, testing, and consultative services to over 600 hospitals and  dozens of research organizations, academic institutions, and biomedical companies. Among  other milestones, our Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute pioneered the Hepatitis B vaccine  and patented a solvent detergent plasma process, innovating blood-purification technology  worldwide.