America's Blood Centers Honored the Indianapolis Colts for Annual Bleed Blue Blood DriveINDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana Blood Center and Indianapolis Colts ongoing partnership to attract blood donors earned national recognition Monday at America's Blood Centers (ABC) annual convention in New York. The trade organization of independent blood centers honored the team with an Award of Excellence for the Most Productive Drive of the year among the country's largest blood centers.
The Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Blood Centered earned the award for the success of the Super Blue blood drive, hosted after the team won the AFC Championship and before the Indianapolis franchise's first-ever trip to the Super Bowl in January 2007. The Colts lent their media spotlight and fan frenzy to Indiana Blood Center for a three-day blood drive that drew 3,624 donors. Fans, clamoring for any opportunity to be part of Colts mania, donated at 14 Indiana Blood Center locations and received a t-shirt tagged "Heed the Stampede," perfectly positioned alongside the AFC Championship logo.
"The Colts organization believes strongly in our commitment to Indiana Blood Center because it allows the team and our fans to make a positive impact in communities throughout the state," said Nicole Duncan, executive director of community relations for the Indianapolis Colts. "Because Indiana Blood Center collects and supplies donated blood to Indiana hospitals, we are able to connect with fans from Evansville to Muncie and nearly everywhere between."
Indiana Blood Center and the Indianapolis Colts first partnered in 2000 to entice blue and white fans to donate blood. Since, the team is credited with attracting 27,614 of their Colts fans to become donors to Indiana Blood Center through such campaigns as the annual Bleed Blue Blood drive held each December, the Make it Personal Tour in the summer of 2007 and Blue Friday promotions during the football season.
"The Indianapolis Colts are a world-class organization and a true asset to our state," said Byron Buhner, president and CEO of Indiana Blood Center. "Earning the top honor among blood drives nationally for their efforts in Indiana proves that the Colts believe being champions in their community is just as important as being champions on the field."
Pictured above (from left to right): Byron Buhner, Indiana Blood Center President and CEO; Stephanie Mathes, Indianapolis Colts Community Relations Coordinator; Nicole Duncan, Indianapolis Colts Executive Director of Community Relations; Mike Parejko, Indiana Blood Center Vice President of Operations
