Red Cross teams with Roush for blood donations

WASHINGTON -- The American Red Cross announced the launch of Red Cross Racing, a new national campaign to recruit NASCAR fans as blood donors and raise awareness of the need to give blood. Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood.

Through the support of 3M and Roush Fenway Racing -- two highly respected organizations in the NASCAR motorsports world -- the No. 16 Ford Fusion will race this Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in a full paint scheme featuring the Red Cross logo. The car will be driven by Red Cross celebrity cabinet member and blood donor Greg Biffle.

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"I'm proud to be an American Red Cross blood donor," Biffle said. "I give blood because it's easy to do and helps support our community. I hope NASCAR fans across the country will join me this racing season to help save lives, one drive at a time."

"The Red Cross invites NASCAR fans to follow Greg Biffle's lead and help win the race to increase much-needed blood donations," said Mary S. Elcano, acting president and CEO of the American Red Cross. "Many NASCAR fans are already loyal Red Cross supporters in times of disaster, and through Red Cross Racing, we hope they will become frequent blood donors too."

Race fans will be able to join a Donor Rewards program by visiting redcrossracing.com beginning on April 24th. This new Web site makes it easy to schedule blood donation appointments online and offers frequent donors the chance to get points, which can be exchanged for Red Cross Racing gear, including caps, T-shirts, jackets and limited edition die-cast cars. Race fans can also join Red Cross Racing at one of the nine NASCAR races where a Red Cross trailer will be on the midway. All participants who sign up between April 24 and October 1 are automatically entered into a sweepstakes for an all-expense paid trip for two to the races in Phoenix on November 9, 2008.

The Red Cross will be highly visible at NASCAR races, thanks to a nearly $2 million donation by 3M.

"We're excited to join with the Red Cross to further advance its mission to increase the nation's blood supply," said Bob MacDonald, 3M senior vice president of marketing. "Our company is a long-time supporter of the Red Cross through ongoing financial and in-kind donations, and we are pleased to help launch this NASCAR opportunity."

People can give blood up to six times a year, or every 56 days, yet only about 37 percent of blood donors donate more than once each year. Through this national campaign, the Red Cross hopes to increase the number of blood donations and to encourage people to give more often. The creation of Red Cross Racing seeks to expand on the organization's existing successful partnerships within NASCAR.