Blood for a Brew Tour begins May 20 at Dogfish Head in Milton

Blood Bank of Delmarva announced the 4th annual Blood for a Brew Tour will kick off with a drive from noon to 6 p.m., Monday, May 20, at Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton.

All presenting donors will receive T-shirts and be entered into a brewery gift card sweepstakes.

The Blood Bank team is thrilled to be partnering once with Delaware’s fantastic local breweries to keep hospitals stocked during the summer with the blood donations they need. The goal is to get at least 21,000 people to donate during the tour.

With the need for first-time blood donors, it’s hard to beat being able to save a life by visiting one of the local breweries that partners with the Blood Bank of Delmarva each summer. Dogfish Head is known for its brewing and eats, and blood donors of legal age can enjoy an alcoholic beverage as long as they have eaten a meal and consumed one non-alcoholic beverage.

At Dogfish Head, local residents who have received blood transfusions, as well as Blood Bank officials and Sussex County paramedics, will be on hand to discuss the importance of donating blood. The summer period from Memorial Day through Labor Day represents a challenging time, with school breaks, family vacations and holidays causing up to a 25% decline in donations. Encouraging blood donations during the summer is essential to making up for this deficit and meeting the needs of Delmarva patients.

It only takes one hour to donate, and a single donation can save multiple lives. Roughly one in seven hospital admissions requires a blood transfusion. Those in need include: cancer patients; accident, burn and trauma victims; newborn babies and their mothers; transplant recipients; surgery patients; chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia; and many more.

Blood for a Brew partners this year include: Dogfish Head Brewery, Revelation Craft Brewing Company, Dewey Beer Company, Big Oyster Brewery, Mispillion River Brewing, Ocean View Brewing Company, Crooked Hammock Brewery, Stewart's Brewing Company, Two Stones Pub, 5th Company Brewing, Volunteer Brewing Company, 2SP Brewing Company, Liquid Alchemy, Twisted Irons Brewery, Constitution Yards, Wilmington Brew Works, Burley Oak Brewing Company and Evolution Craft Brewing Co.

Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. The Food and Drug Administration recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. To view current eligibility guidelines and to schedule a donation appointment, go to delmarvablood.org or call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8.