The State Department of Health is teaming up with the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee and the New Jersey Workplace Blood Donor Coalition to drive up donations and raise awareness.

Blood Donation
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If you donate between now and mid-January, you could win tickets to the Super Bowl, which will be played this February at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands.

The New Jersey's donation rate is 3.6 percent. The national average is 5 percent. Blood donations also tend to drop off during the summer months when school is out and many people are vacationing.

"Anyone who donates blood between now and January 17th will receive a red Super Bowl Blood Drive wristband and a chance to win Super Bowl tickets to Super Bowl XLVIII (48)," said Health commissioner Mary O'Dowd. "Our campaign is called, 'Give Blood and Join the World's Biggest Huddle.'"

The announcement is part of a campaign to increase the region's blood supply. Through this partnership, thousands of blood drives are expected to take place in New York and New Jersey in the run-up to the Super Bowl.

"The summer months are a time of critical need, and the Johnson & Johnson Companies across the nation respond by scheduling drives in partnership with their local blood centers, and this year is no exception," said Peter Fasolo, Worldwide Vice President, Human Resources, Johnson & Johnson. "The need is constant and such contributions are important to ensure there is a healthy and reliable blood supply to draw upon in times of need."

The Johnson & Johnson blood drive is part of the Super Community Blood Drive's "Summer Rush," a two-week campaign from July 29 - August 11 featuring blood drives across the state. The goal is to increase summer blood donations, raise awareness of the need for blood and encourage people to sign-up in advance to donate at a local blood drive, their workplace or the nearest blood center or hospital blood collection center.

"The opportunity to win Super Bowl tickets is a very exciting one," says O'Dowd. "We think it will bring in new donors who potentially will continue donating after the Super Bowl is over."

For more information on how to donate blood, click here.

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