Upcoming blood drive celebrates historic ban lift on gay men donations, increases local blood pool

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- A historic partnership is breaking boundaries and increasing the number of local blood donors with one upcoming event.

CAMP Rehoboth Community Center is joining forces with The Blood Bank of Delmarva to host a blood drive this Saturday. The event follows the FDA’s groundbreaking decision to lift the ban on the ability for gay men to donate blood earlier this year.

The blood bank also recently declared it’s under a blood emergency.

We spoke with officials at CAMP Rehoboth who say this will be a milestone for those donors, adding another form of discrimination has now fallen by the wayside. “They’ll be facing the new Individual Donor Assessment forms that will ask them about questions based on science and not sexual orientation,” Communications Manager Matty Brown said.

“It’ll be huge for them to walk in and know that they are able, just as anyone else, to donate blood and contribute to a great cause.”

The event will be at CAMP Rehoboth’s headquarters 11 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Advanced registration is required and to do so just click here