Patients the real winners in Dover-Phila Blood Battle

Patients the real winners in Dover-Phila Blood Battle
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The 23rd annual Dover vs. New Philadelphia Blood Battle blood donation event is scheduled Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Tuscarawas County YMCA at Dover.

                        

The community rivalry between Dover and New Philadelphia on the football field and for blood donations is on again this year.

The 23rd annual Dover vs. New Philadelphia Blood Battle blood-donation event is scheduled Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Tuscarawas County YMCA at Dover. The football teams play game 116 in their heated rivalry two nights later on Friday, Oct. 2 at Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium in New Philadelphia.

“In this annual Blood Battle, the real winners are the patients of Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital who depend on blood donations,” said Darrin Lautenschleger, director of community relations for Union Hospital. “This tradition is another positive way to participate in what is one of the oldest high school football rivalries in the state of Ohio. Each single blood donation has the power to save up to three lives, and blood donations have become critically important during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Donor hours are 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 30, and appointments are recommended for donors. Walk-in availability is dependent on the number of scheduled donations. Vitalant Ohio, which manages blood-donation programs at Union Hospital and around the Tuscarawas Valley, offers online appointments at www.vitalant.org/OhioDonorPortal. Enter group code 3804 to locate and register for the Blood Battle event.

Donors as young as 16 years old can participate, but all donors under the age of 18 must have a completed and signed parental-consent form.

Vitalant Ohio also has implemented precautions to ensure the safety of donors and its staff including temperature checks, social distancing, continuous sanitation and requirements for donors and staff members to wear masks. In addition, all donors will have their blood and platelet donations tested for COVID-19 antibodies.

Last year fans of the Tornadoes were the team winners in the contest after donating 58 units of blood compared to 39 for Quaker fans. Dover leads the all-time series in the Blood Battle with 12 victories compared to nine wins for New Philadelphia, along with one tie that occurred in 2016.

Residents of both communities, team boosters, students age 16 and older, parents, faculty, and everyone in the Tuscarawas Valley are invited to donate blood for either the Tornadoes or the Quakers.

The winner of the Blood Battle will be announced during the football game between Dover and New Philadelphia.

Information about Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital and all of its services available to the community is available on the hospital website at www.unionhospital.org.


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