FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Through December 6, 2008
CONTACT: Evan Duffy
Senior Communication Specialist
Office: 251-662-2581
Cell: 251-295-2396
duffyek@usa.redcross.org
4th annual
Boeing “Season of Hope”
Blood Drive
Friday, December 5, 2008
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
and
Saturday, December 6, 2008
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Santa Rosa Mall
300 Mary Esther Blvd.
Mary Esther, FL 32569
Give the gift of life and help the American Red Cross strengthen the blood supply just in time for the peak of the holiday travel season.
Sponsored by The Boeing Company, Santa Rosa Mall and the American Red Cross
(November 17, 2008) For the fourth year, The Boeing Company, Santa Rosa Mall, the North West Florida Daily News, Quantum Radio- Fort Walton Beach and the residents of Okaloosa County and surrounding areas are teaming up with the American Red Cross in the name of giving the greatest holiday gift of all, the gift of life, at the 4th annual The Boeing Company “Season of Hope” Blood Drive, scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2008 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Saturday, December 6, 2008 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The Season of Hope drive is an all-encompassing community event that will include a variety of activities all designed to encourage a spirit of giving and goodwill during the holiday season. In addition to the blood drive, citizens are encouraged to participate in the “Can-do” effort by donating food items that will be given to area food banks in the community just in time for the holiday season.
Local entertainment will be provided, and free childcare will also be provided for parents who choose to give the gift of life by donating blood.
The holiday season is generally associated with giving, receiving and spending time with loved ones. But for those who find themselves in need of blood due to accidents, natural disasters or the need for surgery, the holidays can also be a time of uncertainty, as blood stocks are generally low during one of the times of the year in which they are most needed.
Because of holiday vacation travel, which prevents routine donors from giving while at the same time increasing the need for blood due to an increase in travel-related accidents, collections at American Red Cross blood drives suffer. Also, with the flurry of activity that occurs in preparation for the holiday season, many donors simply find it hard to make time to give the most important gift one can give, namely the gift of life.
“This drive was originally designed to head off the holiday blood shortages in advance of the increased demand, and last year it did just that,” said Evan Duffy, Senior Communications Specialist for the American Red Cross. “The holidays are a tough time for the blood supply and those whose very lives depend on it. Tragedy can strike anyone at any time, whether in the form of a wreck, an emergency surgery or an on-the-job accident. In order to save lives, donors must give blood. It’s really that simple. Those who take an hour to give a unit of blood are heroes in the most real sense of the word.”
Blood, moreover blood donors, can save up to two lives per donation. The statistics are staggering. Every two seconds, someone in our region needs blood to survive. Some 800 donations are needed per day in our region alone just to meet the current need for blood, creating a constantly critical need for donors who roll up their sleeves to save the lives of their neighbors. The victim of a traffic accident could need between four and 100 units of blood. The average heart bypass patient needs four to six units. The need for blood is constant, but it is in the holiday travel periods that this need is most critical.
“This drive represents a true community partnership between donors, The Boeing Company, the aerospace industry, the military, the business community and the media,” said Duffy. “That’s one of the reasons we expect this drive to be so successful again this year.”
Because blood can be separated into three components – blood, platelets and plasma – one donation can benefit up to three individuals. Because it takes up to three days for blood to be processed and made available to hospitals, it is important that a donation be made ahead of an emergency. If everyone who was eligible would donate four times a year, there would never be a blood shortage.
To donate, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Donors must also show identification in the form of a driver’s license or ARC donor card. If you are sick and cannot donate, please encourage a friend or loved one to donate in your place. If everyone who could donate would donate, there would never be a blood shortage in our area.
If you plan on giving blood, make sure to prepare yourself for the process. Double your fluid intake in the 48 hours leading up to the drive. Make sure to eat a nutritious meal the night before, as well as the day of, the blood drive. Eat iron-rich foods such as lean beef, broccoli, eggs, greens, shrimp or dried beans. Also consume foods rich in Vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, cabbage, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep before the drive.
During the month of December, every presenting volunteer donor at an American Red Cross blood drive or donor center will be entered into a regional drawing for a $1000 gift card as part of the “Give a Little, Buy a Lot” promotion. All presenting volunteer donors will also receive an American Red Cross t-shirt during the month of December. As usual, the Boeing “Season of Hope” drive will also include drawings for countless door prizes.
The American Red Cross, Blood Services, Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region , which supplies blood to approximately 100 hospitals, needs 800 blood donors each day in order to meet the needs of patients in the region. Blood donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. Please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.redcrossblood.org to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets.
