Several times a year, the Capitals team up with Inova Blood Donor Services to host a blood drive at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. One of the biggest draws to the drive is a reward donors receive: a bobblehead. Usually, it’s one of the Caps’ players. But for the upcoming March 31 blood drive, the Caps have gone in a slightly different direction.

If you give blood that day, you will receive a bobblehead of Caps radio announcer John Walton. And trust us, if doing a good deed by donating blood isn’t enough incentive to sign up, this bobblehead should do the trick. It is spectacular.

Photo: @Capitals

Slots will fill up faster than you can say “good morning, good afternoon, and good night,” so make sure you make an appointment today by calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES or visiting Inova’s appointment website.

More from the Caps:

The Washington Capitals and Inova Blood Donor Services will host a blood drive on Saturday, March 31, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. Appointments are required.

Donors at the blood drive on March 31 will receive a bobblehead of Capitals Radio play-by-play announcer John Walton as well as a Capitals T-shirt.

More than 250 units of blood and blood products are needed every day, year-round, for patients in area hospitals. One blood donation can save up to three lives, and there is a continual need for all blood types. There is no substitute for human blood. It only comes from volunteer blood donors. It is used to help trauma patients, surgery patients, newborn babies, cancer patients and transplant patients.

Donors can make an appointment now by calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866-256-6372) or by signing up online on the Inova Blood Donor Services website. All donors are asked to arrive at their scheduled appointment time.

In order to make each donation go further, donors who know their blood type can select a specific donation type of double red cells, platelets and/or plasma based on the current needs of our community. If you have a blood type of O+, O-, A-, or B-, please be open to a donation type of double red cells. If you have a blood type of A+, AB+, AB-, or B+, please be open to a donation of platelets and/or plasma. By choosing a donation method that matches up with your blood type, we can make a maximum impact in the community. If you have questions regarding why one donation type is more beneficial for your blood type, please call 1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866-256-6372).

To give blood, donors must be feeling generally well on the day of their donation, be at least 16 years old (with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated blood in the past eight weeks (56 days) for whole blood or not have donated double red cells in the past 16 weeks (112 days). For more information about eligibility requirements call 1-866-BLOODSAVES or visit inova.org/donateblood.

Aspects of each potential donor’s health history are discussed as part of the donation process before any blood is collected. Each donor receives a brief examination during which temperature, blood pressure and hemoglobin (iron level) are measured.

Inova Blood Donor Services is the major supplier of blood products in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Photo: @Capitals (left)/Chris Gordon (right)