Hop Valley’s Pint for a Pint Makes Positive Difference

Give a Pint, Get a Pint

Did you know that blood is needed in the United States every two seconds? Or that for roughly every seven people admitted to the hospital, one will need blood during their stay?

The need for blood donations is a never-ending one. And since blood cannot be synthetically manufactured, the only place to get it is from donors.

That’s where “Pint for a Pint” comes in.

Hop Valley has been a longtime partner of Lane Bloodworks (formerly Lane Blood Center) and we’re committed to encouraging the public to make the blood donations that make a real difference saving the lives of real people right here in Eugene, Springfield and the surrounding Lane County, Oregon area. That includes people like Scarlett who was diagnosed at age 5 with Neurobastoma, a form of childhood cancer.

“Scarlett has required chemo, countless infusions of blood and platelets and has experienced more pain and suffering than any child should,” says Dan Ertel, business development manager at InfoGroup Northwest. “Now, largely because of platelet donations, this young lady is a happy and healthy 9-year-old.”

Devoted Blood Donors

The brainchild of Ertel (417 personal blood donations and counting) and Hop Valley co-founder Ron Howard, Pint for a Pint has been encouraging participation by rewarding blood donors with another precious liquid: local craft beer! Just as the name implies, for every pint of blood donors give, they receive a voucher for a free pint of craft beer from Hop Valley.

“My favorite part of Pint for a Pint,” says Ertel, “has been getting to know the folks at Hop Valley and rewarding our devoted donors with a beer!”

With more than 12,000 pints donated and consumed over the years (that’s about 1,500 gallons), Hop Valley is helping to reach those who might not otherwise donate blood. With only about 4% of the general population acting as regular blood donors, any additional boost is much-welcomed and much-appreciated.

Participation Exceeds Expectations!

That increase in participation was made clear just this past Valentine’s Day. Coordinators were anticipating 18 or so donors and were instead delightfully surprised when more than 50 people showed up at Hop Valley’s Tasting Room for the most recent Pint for a Pint event. Those extra donations make a big difference since every individual donation session results in enough blood to potentially save three lives.

Stay tuned for the next Pint for a Pint event announcement coming soon. Give a pint, get a pint and help save lives!

Outside of the Lane County, Oregon area but interested in donating? In Oregon and Washington, visit Bloodworks Northwest (bloodworksnw.org). Otherwise, visit the Red Cross (redcross.org/give-blood) for blood donation centers and drives near you.