Donors eligible to win Toyota RAV4

CITIZEN STAFF REPORT

INEZ — Donors who help shore up the low blood supply July 5 in Inez will get a chance to win a free SUV.

Marion Hale Lodge #672 is partnering with the Kentucky Blood Center to sponsor the blood drive 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Collier Center gymnasium in Inez.

At the halfway point of KBC’s “Summer Getaway Giveaway,” KBC is offering donors 18 and older the opportunity to win a 2022 Toyota RAV4 with its annual summer vehicle giveaway. Registered donors will be entered for the grand prize with each donation at any KBC mobile drive or donor center between now and Sept. 10.

The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on donations over the last two years, but the demand for blood from the 70-plus hospitals KBC serves in Kentucky never slowed down. Ranging from cancer treatments to premature births, surgeries, car accidents and more, one in four people will need a transfusion in their life.

Adding strain to the already low blood supply, summer is traditionally a slow time of the year for donations because schools are closed and families travel for vacation.

Donors who donate in July and August will also receive a “Giving is Good” T-shirt.

Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health, show a photo I.D. and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at kybloodcenter.org.

Appointments are preferred and walk-ins are welcome. To schedule a donation, visit kybloodcenter.org or call 800-775-2522.