Join Red Cross, Pocono Raceway for 12th annual blood drive & 'Ride for the Red'

LONG POND, PA.— Pocono Raceway and the American Red Cross invite blood donors to attend the 12th Annual Pocono Raceway Blood Drive and Ride for the Red. The blood drive will be held on Thursday, July 6 from 1-7 p.m. at the Pocono Raceway, located at 1234 Long Pond Road, Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Visit redcrossblood.org/Pocono2017 for information.

 

Presenting donors will be placed into a random drawing for four Terrace Club tickets and an invitation to driver introductions prior to the Pennsylvania 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on July 30 at Pocono Raceway.

 

“This has grown to be a tremendous event and we are excited to open Pocono Raceway to the community,” said Pocono Raceway president & CEO, Brandon Igdalsky. “The Red Cross does an incredible job and our staff is thrilled to support this great initiative.”

 

Suburban Propane is a proud national sponsor of the American Red Cross Blood Services and is helping to increase awareness of the constant need for blood and platelet donations. Presenting donors on July 6 can enjoy an on-site cookout and will get a $10 Visa gift card, courtesy of Suburban Propane. Suburban Propane employees will also volunteer at the blood drive as part of one of the largest national volunteer commitments to Red Cross Blood Services from a corporate partner.

 

In addition to giving blood, attendees are invited to “Ride for the Red.” A $10 per lap donation will enable participants to drive a lap or laps around Pocono Raceway using their own vehicles. Blood donors who plan to participate should do so before they donate. All proceeds will benefit Red Cross disaster relief efforts in the Pocono Mountains, which helps families prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, both big and small.

 

Blood drives at Pocono Raceway have collected close to 3,000 pints of blood over the past 11 years.

 

“This blood drive has become a highly anticipated event for our region and helps fill a critical need during summer—a time when blood donations historically decrease because of vacations and schools being out of session,” said Michele Baehr, executive director of the Red Cross of the Pocono Mountains. “The demand for blood doesn’t take a vacation. Our region must collect approximately 1,000 units of blood and platelets daily to meet patient need regardless of the season.”

 

Blood cannot be manufactured. Healthy, volunteer blood donors are the only source of blood and platelets for those in need of transfusions. Volunteer blood donors of all types—particularly O negative, A negative and B negative are needed to help maintain a stable blood supply this summer.

 

Appointments for the can be made for the 12th Annual Pocono Raceway Blood Drive by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or visiting redcrossblood.org and using sponsor code POCONO. To learn more about the drive, visit redcrossblood.org/Pocono2017

 

For more information and to make an appointment to donate, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors of all blood types are needed. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

 

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

 

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

 

Pocono Raceway, also known as “The Tricky Triangle,” is family-owned and situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. In business for over 50 years, the Raceway hosts multiple, national motorsports events including two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, one Verizon IndyCar Series race, one NASCAR XFINITY Series, one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and two ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards events each year. The Raceway has added multiple, adventure-running series events to their annual calendar, including the Warrior Dash. Pocono Raceway is recognized as the world’s first, privately-owned solar-powered sports facility. Their 25-acre, three-megawatt solar farm provides the energy needs of the Raceway, as well as, adds electricity to the local power grid. Each member of our raceway staff is committed to creating exciting experiences and lifelong memories.For more information, please visit poconoraceway.com.