OneBlood and the Greenville Swamp Rabbits are kicking off their lifesaving partnership for the second year! This powerplay of saving lives has brought in new fans and blood donors, strengthening Greenville, South Carolina’s commitment to making a difference. 

This year, donors can give blood at select Big Red Bus blood drives near them and score Two Free Swamp Rabbits Tickets and a OneBlood gift. 

As this season’s blood drives faceoff, we spoke with James Roehl about the partnership and the Swamp Rabbits’ focus on being a community partner.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role with the Swamp Rabbits. 

I am originally from Buffalo, NY and have been with the Swamp Rabbits for about a year and half now (joined in March of 2024). I am the Senior Director of Partnerships with the team – my main responsibilities are both growing and maintaining our partnership base as well as building strong relationships with our community.  

Why did the Swamp Rabbits decide to team up with OneBlood? 

We chose to partner with OneBlood for a number of reasons, most notably being that it is a great way to help further our mission of being a community partner and not just a hockey team. Through our partnership with One Blood, we are able to help potentially save hundreds of lives through blood drives that are hosted right here at our arena before games or out in the community throughout the season.   

What does it mean to the Swamp Rabbits to be giving back to the community in this way? 

It means a lot – the partnership with OneBlood has given us a direct way to both connect with the community through these blood drives and give our fans great opportunities to donate and enjoy Swamp Rabbits hockey all in the same day!  

What can OneBlood donors expect from a Swamp Rabbits game?  

OneBlood donors can expect a day or night full of exciting, fun, family-friendly entertainment while cheering on their hometown team. We have a lot of great theme nights on the schedule this season – Oktober Fest, Star Wars Night, Marvel Super Heroes Night, NASCAR Night, and much more! We hope to see all of the donors at the Well this season for some Swamp Rabbits Hockey!   

Fun Bonus Question: What’s your favorite Swamp Rabbits tradition?  

My favorite Swamp Rabbits tradition has to be our win song that plays after every win at home – the song is “Rip it Up” by Little Richard. Hopefully we will be hearing that song a lot this coming season!   

We are grateful and excited for our second year partnering with the Swamp Rabbits! If you are looking to donate blood this year for Two Free Swamp Rabbits Tickets, visit our Swamp Rabbits Blood Drive page to find more details and a blood drive near you. Locations include the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, home of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits!