HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β The American Red Cross has unveiled a new partnership with PEANUTS to encourage blood donations during a typically challenging time of year for the organization.
Between August 29 and September 21, blood donors will receive an exclusive Red Cross x PEANUTS mystery bag containing one of four special T-shirt designs. The collaboration celebrates the 75th anniversary of the comic strip.
American Red Cross spokesperson Jonathan McNamara said the organization has already seen an increase in appointments following the unveiling of the viral Red Cross x PEANUTS T-shirt collaboration.
"We typically experience a downturn in blood donations during the back-to-school season," McNamara said.
The timing is particularly crucial as this period sees increased demand for blood due to more trauma cases, cancer patients who rely on donations, and mothers who experience complications after childbirth.
Hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30, can further complicate matters by disrupting critical donation drives and depleting resources from communities.
The Red Cross has previous success with PEANUTS collaborations.
In April 2023, the nonprofit launched their first PEANUTS co-branded shirt featuring the message "Be Cool. Donate Blood."
That campaign welcomed 14,000 first-time donors and saw a 40% increase in donation appointments, with 75% of donors under the age of 34 during just the first week.
The organization hopes to see similar figures for 2025 with this new campaign. Donors won't know which iconic design they'll receive until they open their mystery bag.
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