Register now for the Keep Pounding Blood Drive at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte on Friday, May 1 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Hosted by the Carolina Panthers, Carolina's HealthCare System and Community Blood Center of the Carolinas, the blood drive will benefit more than 20 area hospitals.
All donors will receive a Keep Pounding Blood Drive T-shirt and be eligible to win autographed Panthers memorabilia, tickets and pre-game field passes. Guests from the Panthers are scheduled to make special appearances throughout the day.
Appointments are preferred and can be made by calling Aly Johnson of the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas at 704-972-4724 or by visiting www.ncdonor.org and entering the sponsor code: Panthers.
"The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas serves an essential role in helping fill the critical need for life-saving blood by local patients, such as those at Levine Children's Hospital. The team is proud to support this important effort," said Riley Fields, the Carolina Panthers director of community relations. "Panthers fans have a strong history of supporting the team's community outreach efforts, and this is a wonderful opportunity for fans to help give the gift of life."
Convenient parking will be available at the front entrance to the Levine Children's Hospital in Parking Lot B off Blythe Boulevard. Donors should arrive via Kings Drive and follow directional signs from the parking lot to the blood drive entrance.
Donors who are unable to attend the drive on May 1 can still give blood through May 31 at any Community Blood Center of the Carolinas location and receive a Keep Pounding Blood Drive T-shirt. Those wishing to participate after May 1 must pre-register and use sponsor code 01162.
For every pint of blood collected, the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas will make a financial contribution to the Keep Pounding Fund to support cancer research efforts at Carolinas Medical Center. One pint can impact up to three patients in local hospitals.
Once again, local charities will have the opportunity to partake in the drive's annual Keep Pounding Community Challenge. Participating non-profit organizations across North and South Carolina will compete to register the most donors for the May 1 drive. The charity with the most participants will receive a charitable stipend from Carolina Panthers Charities. To support any of these charities, simply register for the drive and mention the charity upon check-in on May 1.
The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas was formed in 2001 through the combined efforts of four hospital systems in the region and provides more than 90 percent of the blood supply to 21 area hospitals in North and South Carolina.
