LENEXA, KAN. — Hostess Brands, Inc. is donating more than 300,000 snacks to the American Red Cross, part of a partnership to encourage people to step forward to donate blood in local communities across the United States.

As part of the program, Hostess Brands is providing 11 Red Cross sites across the United States with snacks for blood donors to enjoy after donation, including Twinkies, Zingers and Voortman wafers. The sites are in: West St. Paul, Minn.; Hazelwood, Mo.; West Henrietta, NY; Salt Lake City; Madison, Wis.; Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia; Johnstown, Pa.; Charlotte, NC; Douglasville, Ga.; and Pomona, Calif.

In addition to the donation program, Hostess Brands is running a social media campaign aimed at encouraging people to give blood.

“We are deeply inspired by the extraordinary work done by the American Red Cross,” said Rob Weber, chief people officer at Hostess Brands. “With the current blood shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vitally important to support and encourage blood donations in order to continue providing much-needed care to those in need. At Hostess, we put our heart into everything we do, and we are honored to be able to support the selfless acts undertaken every day by blood donors. Our treats can provide them the necessary boost of energy — along with the moment of joy — as a reward for doing a good deed.”