SOUTH FORK—The Valley Blood Drive in South Fork will take place on May 11 from 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the South Fork Community Center. Blood drive coordinator Karen Miller recently made an announcement that the drive will now come with an extra incentive for those willing to donate blood.
“We have a special incentive planned for the participants of the blood drive and not only will they receive a T-shirt, but this year will be entered for a chance to win a Harley-Davidson Iron 883 Sportster motorcycle.”
The event has gained speed over the years, starting out small and growing as more and more participants started coming to donate blood. Miller hopes this additional incentive will bring even more people to event. “We would really like to have this be one of the most successful blood drives in the Valley and have changed companies this year. The event is now hosted by Vitalant and with the change came the additional incentive,” said Miller.
The company Vitalant also provides donors with a blood type card and does a complete cholesterol screening of each donor and sends the results and cards in the mail within seven days after the event. “This is a great way to help somebody and now gives everyone a chance to win an awesome prize. We are so excited to see the turnout on May 11,” continued Miller.
Those who wish to participate need to follow some simple instructions prior to having their blood donated. People wanting to donate should check with their regular physician in case regularly taken medication could make them ineligible. Several people stop taking certain medication a month before the event in order to participate, but anyone wishing to do this should always get approval from their physician first.
Next, it is recommended that participants eat an iron-rich, low-fat diet in order to help replenish blood supply after donating. The iron-rich food will help with the replenishing process after the event, keeping the donator in good health. Anyone donating should also be in good health. Anyone showing signs of a common cold, flu-like symptoms or any other diseases should not donate.
Miller highly recommends participants make reservations online prior to the event at www.gobloodhero.com with sponsor code: southfork. “If people can’t make reservations, we will be taking walk-in donations. Just please make plans to come out and donate!”
For more information, please visit the website listed above or contact Miller at 719-873-5466.