San Antonio Rock & Roll Blood Drive Calls on Music Fans to Help Rebuild Critical Blood Supply
For San Antonio residents, donating blood is one of those quiet acts of kindness that may never come with a face-to-face thank-you. Still, somewhere nearby, a trauma patient, a mother experiencing complications during childbirth or a neighbor undergoing cancer treatment may depend on that donation.
That local connection will take center stage when 99.5 KISS, 106.7 The Eagle and South Texas Blood & Tissue host the Rock & Roll Up Your Sleeve Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, August 7, 2026, at The Palm Pavilion, 4522 Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio.
The blood drive arrives as severe weather has disrupted the community blood supply, creating an especially pressing need for Type O blood. Walk-ins will be welcomed, although residents can reserve an appointment in advance through South Texas Blood & Tissue. The organization’s official schedule currently shows donation times available throughout the day.
A Blood Drive Built Around San Antonio’s Rock Community
The Rock & Roll Up Your Sleeve Blood Drive gives local music fans a chance to gather around something larger than a concert or radio station promotion. Each person who sits down to donate becomes part of the healthcare network that supports patients across San Antonio and the wider South Texas region.
South Texas Blood & Tissue is the region’s largest blood supplier, providing blood, plasma, platelets and other components to more than 100 hospitals and healthcare providers. Its teams conduct hundreds of mobile blood drives each year, helping hospitals remain prepared for emergencies as well as the everyday needs of patients receiving surgeries, cancer treatments, organ transplants and other forms of care.
That means a donation made on Fredericksburg Road can remain close to home, helping the hospitals and medical teams that San Antonio families rely on.
Donors Can Enter to Win Guns N’ Roses or Iron Maiden Tickets
The opportunity to help patients will also come with a rock-themed incentive.
Anyone who donates blood at a participating South Texas Blood & Tissue donor center through August 9 can enter for a chance to win tickets to one of two San Antonio concerts: Guns N’ Roses on September 16 or Iron Maiden on September 29.
Two winners will be selected. Donors interested in the Guns N’ Roses drawing should use the promotional code Roses, while those entering for the Iron Maiden tickets should use Iron when scheduling their donation.
The concert promotion extends beyond the August 7 event, giving residents who cannot attend the Palm Pavilion blood drive another way to participate at a local donor center.
First-Time Donors May Learn Their Blood Type
For residents who have wondered about their blood type but never had it tested, donating can provide an answer while helping someone else.
After a donation, South Texas Blood & Tissue tests the blood and provides the donor with their blood type. That information can be useful to know, but its greatest value comes from what happens next: the donated blood is prepared for patients who may need lifesaving transfusions.
Potential donors should not automatically assume they are ineligible. About 62% of the U.S. population may be eligible to give blood, although individual eligibility can depend on health conditions, medications, travel history and other factors.
People with tattoos may also be able to donate without an extended waiting period when the tattoo was applied at a licensed, state-regulated facility using sterile, single-use equipment. The tattooed area should be fully healed and free of infection.
Anyone uncertain about eligibility can contact South Texas Blood & Tissue before making an appointment.
How to Prepare for a Blood Donation
A little preparation can help make the donation experience more comfortable.
Donors are encouraged to eat an iron-rich dinner the night before and another nutritious meal on the morning of their appointment. Drinking plenty of water and getting a full night of sleep can also help.
Those who schedule in advance should complete their donor questionnaire on the day of the appointment and bring any identification or information requested during registration.
Appointments for the Rock & Roll Up Your Sleeve Blood Drive can be made at SouthTexasBlood.org/RockNRoll. Donations at other locations can be scheduled at SouthTexasBlood.org/Give. Residents may also call 833-YOU-GIVE, and walk-ins will be accepted at the Palm Pavilion event.
Fifty Years of Connecting Local Donors and Patients
South Texas Blood & Tissue is part of the BioBridge Global family of nonprofit organizations, which also includes QualTex Laboratories, BBG Advanced Therapies and The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation.
The organization’s San Antonio roots reach back to the 1970s, when Bexar County physicians determined that the community needed a locally based blood bank capable of responding quickly to area patients. What began as the South Texas Regional Blood Bank has grown into a network that connects donors with hospitals while also supporting tissue donation, laboratory testing and the development of advanced medical therapies.
QualTex Laboratories now screens millions of blood and plasma donations each year. BBG Advanced Therapies provides collection, testing, processing and manufacturing services for emerging treatments, while The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation raises awareness and funding for BioBridge Global’s lifesaving work.
Behind those large numbers and scientific programs, however, the system still begins with one person choosing to donate.
What San Antonio Residents Should Know
The Rock & Roll Up Your Sleeve Blood Drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, August 7, at The Palm Pavilion, 4522 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, TX 78201.
With Type O blood critically needed following disruptions to the regional supply, the event offers San Antonio residents a direct and practical way to support local patients. An hour set aside during the day could help a hospital prepare for the next emergency—or give a family more time with someone they love.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more San Antonio community events, public health updates and local opportunities to make a difference.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region..