ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Central Florida and OneBlood are partnering to host what they hope will be the largest #OrlandoUnited blood drive in Central Florida to honor victims of the Pulse nightclub shootings.
Although more than 250 appointments are booked, OneBlood’s Big Red Buses will have plenty of room for walk-ins Monday, officials said. The blood drive is from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bright House Networks Stadium.
The campus community and the public can go to the stadium and enter via North Orion Boulevard. Appointments are no longer available the day of the event.
The latest numbers from Orlando Health show that 28 Pulse victims have been discharged from Orlando Regional Medical Center. Eight remain hospitalized, and three of them are in critical condition, officials said.
Also at the blood drive, OneBlood staff will be taking cheek swabs of those interested in finding out if they are a match who can help someone in need of a bone marrow transplant.
UCF engineering alumna Hillary Martinez's family is one of those waiting on a miracle. She has spent the past year in and out of hospitals, watching her 20-month-old son, Korbyn, fight an aggressive form of leukemia.
Korbyn has endured more than a year of chemotherapy to fight acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the blood that starts in the bone marrow and spreads to the bloodstream. Even as he goes into remission, Korbyn’s doctors are still finding traces of leukemia.
Guests do not need an appointment, nor do they have to donate blood Monday to find out if they are Korbyn’s match.
Donors will receive a T-shirt. The UCF School of Performing Arts is also donating a ticket to all blood donors to attend the show "The World Goes 'Round." Performances run June 23 through July 2 and August 25-28.