Donate Blood or Platelets for a Chance to Win Bears Tickets Oct. 4-18

Vitalant (formerly LifeSource) will enter certain blood types (Type O- and Type O+) and all platelet donors who mention "Football Tickets" into a drawing to win a pair of tickets to see the Chicago Bears host the Los Angeles Chargers at Soldier Field at noon on Sunday, October 27.

This promotion is only open to persons who meet the above criteria and donate at any of Vitalant's 17 Chicagoland donation centers between October 4-18 in order to be eligible. To find the donation center nearest you, visit vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL to schedule an appointment.

"Patients, their families, and the hospitals in the Chicago area that Vitalant serves depend on us to deliver on our promise to provide a safe and ample blood supply," said Vitalant Regional Director

Eva Quinley.

In preparation for their donation, donors are asked to eat well, stay hydrated and arrive with proper identification. The blood donation process takes about an hour and is both safe and comfortable. Donors must be at least 17 years old (16 years of age with parental consent).

Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. That's why it's so important to continuously replenish the supply. Blood has a shelf life of 42 days for red blood cells and just 5 days for platelets. Although an estimated 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate, less than 10 percent do. And even with scientific advances being made in laboratories across the world every day, there still remains no substitute for blood.