“Make Your Mummy Proud” and Donate Blood This Halloween

WEST HENRIETTA, NY (10/26/2007)(readMedia)-- No pun intended, the American Red Cross Blood Services, New York-Penn Region is telling all eligible donors, “Make Your Mummy Proud” and donate blood this Halloween. The Red Cross is encouraging blood donors to make and keep their appointments to give blood to strengthen the community blood supply. Currently, the Red Cross reports less than a three-day supply. Maintaining a five-to-seven day supply of blood enables the Red Cross to meet routine hospital needs and to be prepared for large scale emergencies as they arise.

“We all understand that collecting blood is serious business. However, Halloween is one time during the year in which we can lighten up and have fun as we ask donors to give blood and help strengthen the regional supply, “said John Burch, M.D., chief medical officer, New York-Penn Region. “We should always be aware that the life saving gift of blood is needed each and every day. So in the spirit of the season, we ask donors to ‘make their mummy proud’ and schedule an appointment to give the gift of life today.”

As a Halloween treat, all presenting blood donors, at all blood drives will be eligible to enter a random drawing to win an Apple iPhone. The drawing for the entire New York – Penn Region will be held on Friday, Nov. 9. To register, presenting donors are asked to visit www.pointsforpints.org. As a special thank you, t-shirts also will be given to all presenting donors at all blood drives from October 29-31.

In addition, all donors who present to donate blood at an American Red Cross Blood Drive across the Northeast Division before Tuesday, Oct. 31, can enter to win a Red Sox tee-shirt and tickets to see games six and seven of the 2007 World Series at Fenway Park. Drawings for tickets will be held prior to each home game on Oct. 31 and Nov.1, should the games advance to that level. Tickets are non-transferable and one ticket must be used by the winner. If the series advances to games six or seven and there is not a winner from the Region or if games six and seven are not played, a winner will be selected at random to receive a pair of tickets to a Red Sox regular season game next spring at Fenway Park. The Northeast Division serves the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and portions of New York and Pennsylvania.

All current eligible and new donors are strongly urged to call 1-800-GIVE LIFE(1-800-448-3543) or visit www.DonateBloodNow.org to schedule an appointment. Blood donors must be at least 17-years-old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health. In New York State, 16-year-olds may donate blood provided they bring an original signed New York State Informed Parental Consent for a 16-Year-Old to Donate Whole Blood to the blood drive. The consent form can be found at www.DonateBloodNow.org/16. Identification is required to donate blood.

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