For Immediate Release

Contact: Meaghan Wims

Duffy & Shanley for Dunkin Donuts
401-278-4434
mwims@duffyshanley.com

Governor Gina Raimondo, Dunkin Donuts Kick Off National Blood

Donor Month at Rhode Island Blood Center
Dunkin Donuts offering $5 DD Card to all presenting blood donors this month
in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts
Providence, RI Jan. 7, 2016 Dunkin Donuts is once again showing its appreciation for local
blood donors with its DD Donors program. From Jan. 1 through Jan. 31, as part of National Blood Donor
Month, all presenting donors at Rhode Island Blood Center locations in Rhode Island, and at Rhode
Island Blood Center mobile drives and American Red Cross locations in Southeastern Massachusetts, will
receive a $5 DD Card.
Observed every January, National Blood Donor Month was launched in 1970. Its goal: Drive
attention to the importance of volunteer blood donation.
Donating blood is, quite simply, giving someone the gift of life, said Dunkin Donuts Rhode
Island franchisee Joe Prazeres. We are always proud to support Rhode Island Blood Centers work, and
we hope our DD Donors program will help encourage more of our neighbors to donate blood.
Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo joined Dunkin Donuts at the Rhode Island Blood
Center in Providence today to celebrate National Blood Donor Month and launch the DD Donors program.
The Rhode Island Blood Center does vitally important work, directly contributing to healthy and
strong communities, said Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo. A healthy Rhode Island is key to a
healthy economy. I urge Rhode Island blood donors to continue making these life-saving gifts this month
and throughout the year. Your donations are always in constant demand.
Also on-hand to tell her inspiring story at todays event was West Warwick resident Ronda
Matarese. For nearly five years, Matarese has received infusions of intravenous immunoglobin (IVIG)
every three weeks. IVIG is made from donated plasma and used to treat an autoimmune disorder she has
lived with since 2010. As a recipient whose well-being depends on donated blood, Matarese certainly has
an appreciation for donors generosity. As a former emergency medical technician who now trains
prospective first responders, she also has a professional understanding of just how many lives blood
donors can change or save.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Blood Utilization
Report, somone in the country needs a blood transfusion every two seconds. In Rhode Island, more than
200 units of blood are needed every day in order to maintain an adequate supply for the patients and
hospitals the Blood Center serves.

Dunkin Donuts is a valuable partner in the success of the Rhode Island Blood Center, and we
are thrilled to partner with them again this year, Scott Asadorian, vice president and chief operating
officer of the Rhode Island Blood Center said. Across the state, approximately 370,000 people are
eligible to donate blood but only about 5 percent do. Programs like DD Donors are a nice thank you for
those who present to donate blood.
The Rhode Island Blood Center has donor centers in Providence, Warwick, Narragansett,
Woonsocket, Westerly and Middletown and holds over 1,000 blood drives across the state each year.
To find a blood drive or donor center in your neighborhood, visit www.DDdonors.com.
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About Dunkin' Donuts

Founded in 1950, Dunkin' Donuts is America's favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods.
Dunkin' Donuts is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced coffee, donut, bagel and
muffin categories. Dunkin' Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee
category by Brand Keys for nine years running. The company has more than 11,500 restaurants in 40
countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin' Donuts is part of the Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.
(Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.
*Excludes bulk donut sales (1/2 dozen and dozen)
About the Rhode Island Blood Center

The Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC) was founded in 1979 as a non-profit community blood center. For
over 35 years, RIBC has been the primary supplier of blood and blood products to patients being cared
for in hospitals throughout Rhode Island and in neighboring states. Its mission is to help save lives by
ensuring a safe, plentiful and cost-effective blood supply to the patients and hospitals it serves.