Metallica and Red Cross announce new scheme for US tour
Metallica are putting their huge crowd sizes to use by teaming up with the Red Cross for their upcoming American tour. At selected cities across the US, during their M72 tour, the band will be encouraging concertgoers to give blood.
The importance of giving blood is impossible to understate. For most donors, a five- to ten-minute sit-down while the blood is drawn can be a potentially life-saving treatment for the person who receives it. In America, the Red Cross found that 62 per cent of the population is eligible to give blood, yet only 3 per cent donate.
The blood the Red Cross receives is used to treat a wide range of illnesses and injuries. Blood transfusions are vital for people suffering from burns, having heart surgery and organ transplants, and those getting treatment for leukaemia, cancer, or sickle cell disease.
Metallica clearly recognise how important this is as on their upcoming tour, they will be hosting blood drives at their shows. Ticketholders of all blood types can book an appointment ahead of the show, with many of the stops on the tour now featuring a pop-up donation centre.
Additionally, fans who donate will receive a limited edition T-shirt which is only available to those who give blood.
“The Red Cross is incredibly appreciative that Metallica is helping fuel the blood supply this summer,” the executive director of national partnerships for Red Cross Biomedical Services, Darren Irby, said. “The band and their foundation are committed to making every tour stop a better place, and this selfless act of rallying fans to donate blood will leave a lifesaving legacy to so many communities.”
With 21 stops on their American tour, this initiative between Metallica and the Red Cross could save a vast number of lives.
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