Brandon Ramos knew he needed to act quickly when his 13-year-old daughter decided at the last minute to come down from Dallas to see the new “Twilight” movie with her family and friends.

Ramos secured about 20 tickets to the sold-out show weeks ago for his wife, nieces, sisters and friends. He donated blood Tuesday afternoon to get a ticket for his daughter to the midnight premiere of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.”

“They all went to the midnight premieres of the first two movies together,” Ramos said while he waited in line to donate blood. “It’s definitely a tradition for them.”

(From left) Brittany Cockerham, 17, Kissy Averitt, 16, Haley Brown, 16, Amanda Wallace, 20, and Courtney Cockerham, 16, line up to give blood to “Team Edward.”
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

Carter BloodCare partnered with Waco’s Starplex Galaxy 16 theater to host a blood drive for the opening of “Eclipse,” the third installment in the “Twilight” vampire series. The first 50 eligible donors got a free ticket to the premiere.

Ramos donated blood in the past but hasn’t in recent years. He said he was equally happy about donating blood as he was about getting his daughter a movie ticket.

“It’s good for a ticket, but I explained to my kids, it’s to provide life, or extended life, for someone,” he said.

The blood drive took place from 4:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., just in time to make the midnight showing.

The stream of donors was steady throughout the afternoon and into the evening. By 9 p.m., 30 units of blood had been donated, enough to help about 90 adults or 180 babies, Carter BloodCare spokeswoman Janet Gregg said.

Blood banks face a serious dilemma during the summer, Gregg said. The number of donors decreases because school is out and people travel. High school students make up about 25 percent of blood donations in Carter BloodCare’s 14-county Central Texas region, Gregg said.

The need for blood also increases in the summer because the number of accidents increases, and people schedule surgeries during the summer months, Gregg said.

The event drew fans of all ages to donate blood, either to “Team Jacob” or “Team Edward” — the two rivals for Bella’s affection in the “Twilight” films. Two blood-drive buses were parked outside the theater with signs designating each team.

Tuesday was the first time donating blood for Midway High School juniors Haley Brown, 16, of Hewitt, and Kissy Averitt, 16, of Woodway. They said they were a little scared, but it was worth it to see “Eclipse” at midnight.

“It would be awesome to have a relationship” like Bella and Edward’s, Brown said.

Brown and Averitt donated with two other friends, sisters Brittany, 17, and Courtney Cockerham, 16, of Woodway. Both have donated blood before at school blood drives.

All four girls read the books and saw the first two movies. They all claim to be on “Team Edward.”

“I like the star-crossed romance,” Courtney Cockerham said.

Carter BloodCare also held a Twilight blood drive at Cinergy Cinemas in Copperas Cove. By 9 p.m., an estimated 22 units had been donated.

cquackenbush@wacotrib.com

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Kristin McGinty with Carter BloodCare prepares to hang the “Team Edward” sign on a bus at the blood drive.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

Chris Renfro, 20, shows off the free T-shirt he received for donating blood.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald