TikTok users love Snoopy so much they’re literally giving blood for merch

polygon.com:

A new generation of fans is bleeding for the beloved mascot Snoopy as part of a new viral trend on TikTok.

While the news might seem alarming at first, the trend is actually quite wholesome. Young Snoopy fans are donating blood in order to get an exclusive shirt from the Red Cross featuring the character, and then sharing videos of it online. At the time of publication, some of the top videos have exceeded 1.5 million views, but what’s more astounding is how the trend has impacted blood donation numbers. The Red Cross told Polygon that appointments for blood donations rose by 40 percent in the weeks after the promotion for the shirt started.

The shirt in question sports a relatively simple design. It’s a white T-shirt that displays Joe Cool — the name of Snoopy’s alter ego that wears sunglasses — leaning on the Red Cross logo and text that reads, “Be cool. Give blood.” It’s tied to part of a larger promotional campaign starring the Peanuts characters created by Charles M. Schulz; those who go in and donate blood, platelets, or plasma can get a free shirt. The campaign is live now and runs until April 23.

Because the shirt has Snoopy on it, it makes waves online as young users share videos flexing their Snoopy swag after they or a loved one donated blood. There is no standard meme or format for the videos, but many use the classic “Peanuts Theme” as audio and share videos of the shirt or document the process of going to donate blood to get it.

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@knottsberryfarmofficial let me get free