🌱 Donate Blood, Get Super Bowl Tickets + 500 Volunteers Needed

Happy winter solstice, Phoenix! Things will only get brighter from here! Now, let's get you started this Tuesday with everything you need to know going on in town today.

First, today's weather:

Rather cloudy. High: 69 Low: 48.

Here are the top stories in Phoenix today:

1. If you donate blood or plasma in Phoenix through January, you could get a chance to win Super Bowl tickets or a home theater package. Blood donations typically drop during the holidays, but there are already shortages because of the pandemic, so the Red Cross is offering incentives in hopes of encouraging people to donate. Check out the story to find upcoming blood drive dates and times. (Phoenix Patch)
2. Kura Sushi is set to open its first Arizona location at Camelback Colonnade this week. Kura has a revolving sushi bar and promises to offer authentic Japanese dishes. The first Kura restaurant was opened in Japan in 1977. The Phoenix location will be its 34th in the United States. (AZ Big Media)
3. Christmas dinner is one of the Phoenix Salvation Army's biggest events of the year, and it is in desperate need of volunteers to make it happen. The organization plans to serve around 7,500 meals on Christmas Day and is looking for 500 more volunteers to help with preparation all of this week through Christmas morning. (Arizona's Family)

Today's Phoenix Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Phoenix!

Today in Phoenix:

• Libertas Real Estate Hosts Holiday Vision Board Party, 20616 N. Cave Creek Road in Phoenix. (Noon)
• Masnavi Reading . مثنوی خوانی | Online, by the Arizona Persian Cultural Center. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Phoenix Police Officer Kayla Conroy ran a 5k last weekend to honor her fellow Officer Tyler Moldovan as he continued to fight for his life after being shot several times while on the job last week. "The love and respect that our officers have for each other runs deep, and we are proud of Officer Conroy for honoring Officer Moldovan in such a special way," Phoenix Police said in a Facebook post. (Facebook)
• Wondering if the holiday weekend means a change in your trash pick-up schedule? Check out the city's app, myPHX311, to find out. (Facebook)

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That's it for today! I'll see you around.

— Caitlin Sievers

About me: I'm a passionate writer and photographer who worked as a reporter and editor for various publications in the Midwest before landing in Phoenix. I have seven roommates. Four of them are cats. Contact me at caitlin.sievers@patch.com with story ideas and feedback.