RED CROSS NAMES ATLANTA BRAVES WINNING DONOR
Carnesville Donor Wins Grand Prize Package
(Wednesday, July 20, 2005) ATLANTA – The American Red Cross announced that Carnesville resident Brenda Simmons is the grand prize winner of the 2005 Atlanta Braves Blood Drive promotion. As the grand prize winner Mrs. Simmons will receive four tickets to the August 16th Braves game in Atlanta plus a field visit with the players. All participants in the Atlanta Braves American Red Cross Blood Drive, which was held across Georgia over the July 4th weekend, were eligible for the special drawing.
Mrs. Simmons became a Red Cross blood donor several years ago, but was temporarily unable to give blood because of medication she was taking. Her donation during the July 4th weekend was her first in Georgia. She and her granddaughter were in Athens for the day and decided to give blood together at the Red Cross Athens Blood Donor Center.
“My granddaughter just turned seventeen and she really wanted to donate blood,” said Simmons. “Blood saves lives, not only for adults but children’s lives. I think if people knew blood saved children’s lives more people would donate.”
The minimum age for a blood donor is 17. Donors also must be healthy and weigh at least 110 pounds. Because blood cells replace themselves in the body, most donors can safely give blood every 56 days or platelets every two weeks, up to 24 times each year.
The family is thrilled about their field visit. According to Mrs. Simmons, her granddaughter and grandson are ecstatic about getting to meet some of the Braves. The Braves tickets and certificate for a field visit will be presented to Mrs. Simmons on Friday, July 22nd at the Athens Red Cross Donor Center, 3525 Atlanta Highway.
The Red Cross and the Atlanta Braves teamed up for this special promotion both as a way to thank blood donors in Georgia as well as to call attention to the enormous need for blood donations during the summer months. In addition to the grand prize giveaway, 160 pair of tickets were raffled off to people who donated blood or platelets the weekend of July 4th.
The American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region needs at least 1,200 people to donate blood each weekday to provide enough blood for hospital patients who must have life-saving transfusions. For more information, please call 1-800-GIVE LIFE (448-3543) or log on to www.givebloodredcross.org.
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