Kings fill Golden 1 Center with donation beds for Red Cross blood drive

A row of a dozen blood donation beds lined the concourse of Golden 1 Center on Thursday morning. The sani-cloths were purple (probably by coincidence) and Red Cross workers wore purple nitrile exam gloves while classic rock greeted blood donors, who had their temperatures checked when they walked through the open door to the arena.

If there’s one thing the Sacramento Kings have plenty of, it’s unused space at Golden 1 Center. That space allows visitors to walk through the doors to the arena without touching anything during the coronavirus pandemic.

There’s plenty of room for spreading out in the concourse. Instead of fans lining up for beverages or nachos, donors Thursday had a view of the court below while Slamson, the team mascot, wheeled through on rollerblades.

It was the first blood drive at Golden 1 Center, but it might not be the last.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Sacramento Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart said. “This building has always been a centerpiece for the region. We’re proud to partner with Budweiser for their American Red Cross Blood Drive because today more than ever, donating blood is important. It’s important for us to let people know you can still do it safely.”

American Red Cross regional CEO Gary Strong said the extra space fills a pair of critical needs for his group: It provides a safe environment and it’s a draw for fans who might miss visiting the downtown arena.

“When you have a facility as beautiful as this one, it’s a draw for people. They want to come into the building as well as give blood. This is a great place for us to do something like this,” he said.

Strong said the Red Cross has held its own amid the coronavirus pandemic. A vicious wildfire season this summer compounded the issues facing his group. But fundraising has been OK. People see a need and they want to help, Strong said, which was also visible in the steady stream of donors lying down on donation beds Thursday.

“We live in a community here that’s so incredibly generous, they always want to help people in need. ... We haven’t seen as much of a dropoff (in fundraising) as we thought we might have and that’s because of where we live. ...

“As generous as the community is, the Kings are generous as well. Any time we have a significant need, the Kings jump in and take action with their constituents. We certainly appreciate all that they do, as well as Budweiser, which is out here as well.”

The Red Cross and the beer-maker have a longstanding relationship, which includes Budweiser canning fresh water to help respond to natural disasters around the country. At Golden 1 Center, bottles of hand sanitizer with the Anheuser-Busch logo sat in front of every chair at every table, where donors could eat a snack and collect themselves before carrying on with their days.

Strong said people who aren’t able to donate blood could help the Red Cross pay for future blood drives by texting “sleevesup” to 41411. To avoid crowds, the Red Cross is doing blood donations by appointment only, which are available at redcross.org.