Places to donate blood in Tampa Bay

• American Red Cross, 3310 W. Main St. | You can complete day-of paperwork online via RapidPass to save time.
• BPL Plasma, 5252 E. Fowler Ave. | Check out the new donors page for more information about getting started + what to expect.
• CSL Plasma, Multiple Locations | Donors may be eligible for rewards.
• OneBlood, Multiple Locations | Visit one of the designated donor centers or check out the list of traveling blood drives to donate.

Here’s what you need to do

• Read up on the requirements for donating blood to see if you are eligible to give blood.
• If you’re ready, book a visit online at (walk-ins are also accepted).
• You’ll be asked to complete a Blood Donor History Questionnaire to fasttrack your appointment. No worries if you can’t get to it ahead of time, you can always complete it on site if that works better for you.
• When you arrive to donate blood, expect a short physical (temperature, pulse + blood pressure check, and a small finger prick to check your hemoglobin levels).
• If you’re cleared to donate, sit back and relax — it’ll be over before you know it.

• Treasure Chests 5K + Fun Run | Sun., Oct. 9 | 7 a.m. | AdventHealth Training Center, 1 Buccaneer Pl. | $50 | Join the Buccaneers for their 10th annual 5K run supporting breast cancer research. 👟
• Eleventh Annual Tampa Bay Pig Jig | Sat., Oct. 22 | Julian B. Lane Park, 1001 N. Blvd. | $75+ | Jig like a pig at this live music benefit event hosted by NephCure Kidney International, featuring music guests Sam Hunt, the Ambassadors, Kip Moore, and Bahamas. 🐷
• Riverwalk Trick or Treat | Sat., Oct. 29 | 4-7 p.m. | Tampa Riverwalk | Free | Come decked out in your Halloween costume with the community to get your candy fix with 50 different stations throughout the Riverwalk. 🎃
• Cinema STEM: The Prestige | Wed., Nov. 2 | 7 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St. | $10 | This series analyzes classic films + picks apart the science, technology, engineering, and math behind them.
• Candlelight: A Tribute to Beyoncé | Wed., Nov. 2 | 6:30 p.m. | Centro Asturiano de Tampa, 1913 N. Nebraska Ave. | $35 | Enjoy your favorite Beyoncé bops performed by the Listeso String Quartet in a cozy, candlelit setting. 🕯️
• 2022 National Hockey Festival | Thurs., Nov. 24-Sat., Nov. 26 | All day | Tournament Sportsplex of Tampa Bay, 9330 E. Columbus Dr. | Free | Celebrate your love for the game surrounded by local vendors, teams, and members of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.

• 84º | Mostly sunny | 10% chance of rain

• Take out the trash. Normal curbside residential yard waste collection will resume today, Mon., Oct. 3 for Tampa residents. The City of St. Petersburg will also start collecting debris today and residents are asked to sort normal garbage from vegetation. (Florida Politics) 🗑️
• If Hurricane Ian damaged your home, business, or vehicle, you may be able to apply for FEMA financial aid. You will need information like your insurance, a description of the damage, your total household income + your social security number. (The Ledger)

• The Dalí Museum’s Wish Tree has fallen. Hurricane Ian took out the 35-foot ficus tree, which was planted in the “Avant-Garden” nearly 11 years ago. While this is the tree’s final fall — it has already been uprooted three other times — the museum has plans to install a new royal poinciana Wish Tree. 🌳 (The Catalyst)

• The show must go on. The David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts reopened last weekend. Two productions — “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” + “Avenue Q” — are scheduled to continue their runs from Oct. 5-9. Snag your tickets here. 🎭 (The Catalyst)

• A photograph of Tampa man and philanthropist Matthew Jost made it into The New York Times. The picture — taken by Tampa-based artist Blake Yeager — shows Matthew posing with Florida’s state flag in Old Hillsborough Bay. (Creative Loafing Tampa Bay)