Honor those who are there for us each day by giving blood today, Thursday, July 14.

The blood drive, dedicated to honor Port Aransas Emergency Medical Services and Christus Spohn Hospital- Memorial intensive care unit and trauma department, will be held in the Coastal Bend Blood Center mobile unit in the Family Center IGA parking lot, 418 S. Alister St., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Port Aransan Jean Peters requested the drive to honor those who took care of her husband Gordon during his emergency illness earlier this year.

The blood center has partnered with the Corpus Christi Hooks to provide a voucher for two general admission tickets to a home game at Whataburger Field for each donor.

Donors must be in general good health, 17 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, have at least 12.5 gm/ dl of hemoglobin, not have donated whole blood in the last eight weeks, or double red blood cells in the last 16 weeks, have normal pulse, temperature and blood pressure or medically-controlled blood pressure, not have a cold or sore throat, nor be pregnant or under a doctor’s care for any serious illness or injury, and not taking antibiotics for an active infection.

Those who have diabetes controlled by medication, are taking common anti-depressants or birth control pills, or who have had a tattoo or piercing at a state-licensed facility still may be eligible to donate.

Donor name, address and a photo ID (such as a driver’s license) are required, along with information about health, medical history, current medications and recent surgeries. The actual blood draw takes less than 10 minutes.

For more information, visit www.coastalbendbloodcenter.org.