INDIANAPOLIS - s4story -- More than 123,000 lives have been saved since the Indianapolis Colts first teamed with Versiti Blood Center of Indiana 20 years ago. Hoosiers are asked to give the gift of life this holiday season by donating critically needed blood at the 2019 Bleed Blue Blood Drive.

The drive runs from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Dec. 21 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Bleed Blue is the largest single-day blood drive of the year in Indiana and helps ensure that Versiti's Indiana hospital partners can meet patient needs during the holiday season and into 2020.

This year's goal is to collect 1,500 units of life-saving blood. O-negative blood is especially needed now as that blood type can be transfused to patients with any blood type. O-negative blood is carried on emergency air transport and is found in hospital emergency rooms for situations when there is no time to determine a patient's blood type.

Each Bleed Blue donor will receive a commemorative, limited-edition football featuring Colts tight end and Indianapolis native Jack Doyle in appreciation of their generosity.

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Several family-friendly activities can be enjoyed during the blood drive, including on-field activities, big-screen movies, children's games and activities, and appearances by Colts cheerleaders and team mascot Blue. Free child care will be offered while parents donate blood.

Donating blood takes about an hour. Anyone age 17 or older in good health who meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to give. Parental consent is required for donors age 16 to donate blood. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes their birth date.

Appointments are encouraged but walk-ins are welcome. To schedule an appointment to donate blood at the 2019 Bleed Blue Blood Drive, call 317-916-5150 or visit Versiti online at http://www.versiti.org/Indiana.

More than 90,000 Indiana residents each year give blood through Versiti Blood Center of Indiana, formerly Indiana Blood Center, a non-profit organization founded in 1952 that operates blood donation centers in Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Greenwood, Lafayette and Terre Haute, Ind. The center also operates thousands of mobile and community blood drives each year throughout the state. Versiti provides a continuous and safe supply of blood and biological services to nearly 80 Indiana hospitals and their patients and beyond.