Support your local blood center, UK HealthCare at upcoming campus drives
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 3, 2026) — University of Kentucky students, staff, faculty and the community can support Kentucky Blood Center (KBC) and UK HealthCare by donating blood at upcoming drives on campus. The drives, scheduled for April 6-10, are the final opportunities of the 2025-26 academic year to give blood on UK’s campus.
One in four people will need a blood transfusion in their lifetime for a wide range of treatments, including cancer, traumas, diseases, organ transplants, surgeries, childbirth and more. KBC provides lifesaving blood products to more than 70 hospitals in Kentucky, but as the exclusive provider to UK HealthCare, more than 40% of all blood collected at KBC supports patients at UK HealthCare. By donating — which takes less than an hour from registration to refreshment — blood donors can save a life at UK’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital, the only Level 1 trauma center in Central and Eastern Kentucky.
There are four locations available to donate:
- Gatton Student Center (Ballroom A): 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, April 6-10
- William T. Young Library (KBC Bloodmobile): 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, April 6-7
- John Cropp Stadium (KBC Bloodmobile): 3-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7
- Lewis Honors College (Lewis Scholars Lounge): 10 a.m.-5 p.m.Thursday and Friday, April 9-10
KBC will recognize donor support with a “Support Your Local Blood Center” T-shirt and a $5 Starbucks gift card. All items are while supplies last. KBC will also make a $5 donation to a DanceBlue team of a donor’s choosing for giving blood (donor must fill out a slip at donation), and a deposit will be provided by UK Invests into the enrolled accounts of students who participate in the blood drive.
Donors can schedule an appointment at bit.ly/KBC_UKSpring2026 or call 800-775-2522. Walk-ins are welcome.
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health, show a photo ID and meet additional requirements.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.