(Radio Iowa) – The is one of the slowest times of the year for the American Red Cross to recruit blood donors in Iowa, so the agency is making a special offer in hopes of scoring a touchdown for hospitals. Emily Holley, spokeswoman for the Red Cross’ Nebraska-Iowa region, says everyone who donates blood between now and January 25th will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip to the Super Bowl next month in San Francisco. Holley says, “The winner and the guest will receive two tickets to the Super Bowl, access to day of in-stadium pre-game activities, round-trip airfare, and three nights of hotel accommodations.” She says it’s often difficult to find blood donors during these early weeks of winter.

“The Red Cross blood supply is under pressure right now, following a busy holiday season when winter weather impacts schedules, making it tougher to ensure that hospitals have the blood products needed for critical care,” Holley says. “That’s why we’re encouraging helping individuals to donate now and throughout the winter to help patients who are counting on blood transfusions.” Holley urges Iowans to roll up their sleeves and donate a pint. “It’s very easy to find a blood drive near you and make an appointment,” she says. “All you have to do is go to redcrossblood.org, type in your ZIP code, and all of the upcoming blood drives near you will show up and you can make an appointment.”

All blood types are needed. You can safely donate blood every 56 days and the process typically takes less than an hour, while the actual collection just lasts about ten minutes.