Krispy Kreme Doughnuts That Only Cost Us Our Blood? What A Steal!
Krispy Kreme is offering free doughnuts to blood donors in the wake of a national blood shortage.
In an effort to combat a recent blood shortage reported by The American Red Cross, Krispy Kreme is offering a dozen free doughnuts to any confirmed blood donor with a sweet tooth. According to a press release sent to The Takeout, from now through January 31, anyone can get their hands on a dozen Original Glazed if they prove to the cashier that they've donated blood or platelets. Too bad we can't pay for all our favorite treats in human blood!
NPR reports that The Red Cross has experienced a 10% decrease in blood donations since March 2020. It's no surprise that the pandemic is to blame for the decrease in donations: With many schools going remote and the government advising us all to avoid larger gatherings and crowded indoor spaces, blood drives that would normally be hosted on college campuses or at high schools dropped 62% in the past two years. The resulting blood shortage is the worst one the Red Cross has experienced in more than a decade.
While all blood donations are encouraged, whether you have O, A, or B does not matter, Krispy Kreme specifies in its announcement that you will need to show a sticker, donor band, or a donation confirmation in the Red Cross app to receive your free dozen Original Glazed doughnuts. Doughnuts might be a small incentive, but the effect could be impactful. NPR notes that the shortage has required doctors to make difficult decisions about who should receive blood now and who can wait until more donations come in.
This is not the first time Krispy Kreme has handed out freebies during a health crisis. In March of 2021, the doughnut chain encouraged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by offering one free doughnut per day to anyone who could show proof of their vaccination throughout 2021. Surprisingly, not many people cashed in on this offer at the time. So, the company then upped the ante on the offer and said those who showed proof of vaccination would receive two free doughnuts, one being heart-shaped just to really drive home the emotion behind the offer.
The only thing more satisfying than biting into a glazed doughnut is knowing you may have helped save a life, right?