“Ready, Set, Give!” with WIS
South Carolina Blood Services Region
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 04, 2010
CONTACT: Jamie Muldrow, 803-251-6034, muldrowjb@usa.redcross.org
“Ready, Set, Give!” with WIS
Count on WIS Blood Drive at Four Locations on One Day
Columbia, S.C.— The American Red Cross and WIS invite blood donors to “Ready, Set, Give!” the gift of life at the sixth annual Count on WIS blood drive Thursday, Aug. 12. The event kicks off at 7 a.m. at Dutch Square Mall and aboard a bloodmobile in front of the WIS studios on Bull Street. At 11 a.m., the Red Cross will start collecting blood at two other sites: the Village at Sandhill community room and Sumter Mall on Broad Street. The blood drives end at 7 p.m. at all four sites.
To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code WIS or call 1-800-RED CROSS. Walk-ins are welcome.
All participating blood donors will get a Red Cross T-shirt and tote bag plus a chance to win:
- Darlington Raceway truck series tickets
- Frankie’s Fun Park gift certificates
- Shirts autographed by WIS personalities
- $1,000 gift card through the Red Cross “Give Blood & See America” promotion
In addition, donors will get to vote for their favorite WIS news team. For every unit of blood collected, the Red Cross will tally one vote for the WIS news team of the donors’ choice. At the end of the day, WIS will announce the news team with the most donors. Ten lucky donors will be randomly selected to enjoy lunch at Thirsty Fellow and to compete in a go-kart race at Frankie’s Fun Park with the anchors from the winning WIS team. The winner of the race will win a pair of three-day passes to the Historic Racing Festival in Darlington.
Donors get to choose among four news teams: Sunrise Team—Hannah Horne, Stewart Moore and Ben Tanner; 5 o’clock Team—Judi Gatson, Dawndy Mercer and Ken Aucoin; 6 and 11 o’clock Team— Judi Gatson, Ben Hoover and Ken Aucoin; 7 o’clock Team—Dawndy Mercer Plank, Ben Hoover and Ken Aucoin.
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The American Red Cross South Carolina Blood Services Region provides lifesaving blood to 54 hospitals and must have 500 people give blood and platelets each weekday to meet hospital demand. Accident victims as well as patients with cancer, sickle cell disease, blood disorders and other illnesses receive lifesaving transfusions every day. There is no substitute for blood and volunteer donors are the only source.
Blood can be safely donated every 56 days. Most healthy people age 17 and older, or 16 with parental consent, who weigh at least 110 pounds, are eligible to donate blood and platelets. Donors who are 18 and younger must also meet specific height and weight requirements.
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