Be A Hero And Donate Blood

Looking for something to do to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11?

Here's a way to honor the people who came together to respond to an emergency and to help America prepare for future emergencies: Give blood.

Community members and race fans alike can enjoy the ride of a lifetime and help save lives during the 11th annual High Speed Blood Drive at Infineon Raceway on Friday, Sept. 9.

The raceway will partner with the American Red Cross and the Blood Centers of the Pacific on this one-of-a-kind blood drive, which will be held from 1-6 p.m. at Infineon Raceway. Since 2001, Infineon Raceway’s High-Speed Blood Drive has generated nearly 900 pints of blood, and each pint can be used to save up to three lives.

In true high-speed fashion, the raceway will put its own “spin” on the traditional blood drive, as donors will get their hearts pumping with a high-speed “hot lap” around the 12-turn road course before giving blood. Donors will ride along with a professional instructor from the Simraceway Performance Driving Center in an official Infineon Raceway Toyota Camry. 

“I’d been thinking about donating blood for a while, and I was going to do it locally in my town, but when I read about this event at the raceway, I knew I had to come,” said Randall Chow, a 2010 blood drive participant. “I’m doing a good thing by donating the blood, but I’m also getting a hot lap around the track. It was a lot of fun.”

To make an appointment to donate blood at Infineon Raceway and for information on donor eligibility, go to www.redcrossblood.org or www.bloodheroes.com (sponsor code “Infineon”). All donors must be at least 17 years old (or 16 with parental consent) and bring a valid photo ID.  

For more information, contact Diana Brennan at dbrennan@infineonraceway.com or 800-870-RACE.

• Check out ActionAmerica.com if you'd like to tell the country how you're taking positive action in your community.