Washington Nationals-Inova Blood drive hits a home run

This past weekend, the Washington Nationals and Inova Blood Donor Services (IBDS) kicked off the first of two summer blood drives by knocking their overall donation goal out of the park. With more than 700 people registered to donate blood at Nationals Park on Saturday, June 15, IBDS collected more than 730 units of blood. "Nats fans truly rallied around blood donation. More than 1,890 patients will benefit from the record number of blood products collected at the ballpark in one day," Inova Blood Donor Services Director Terri Craddock said. In exchange for their generous donation, fans who gave blood received two tickets to a future Nationals game and a limited edition T-shirt, as well as opportunities to win autographed memorabilia and take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Nationals Park. "We are extremely proud of our fans and their partnership with us on this incredibly important initiative. With their help, we were able to overwhelmingly exceed our goal," Nationals Community Relations Senior Director Shawn Bertani said. The second Nationals-Inova blood drive of the season will be held Saturday, August 17 from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Nationals Park. Appointments to donate blood are required. Spots are already filling up, so fans are encouraged to make their appointment soon by calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES (256-6372) or visiting inova.org/donateblood. Once on the website, click on "Schedule a Donation" then "Donate Blood" and use Sponsor Code 7665. Donors who visit Nationals Park on August 17 will also receive a pair of tickets to a future home game, a limited edition T-shirt and opportunities to win autographed memorabilia and take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Nationals Park.