Fourth Annual NASCAR Foundation Blood Drive commemorates Sept. 11

DARLINGTON - “NASCAR fans love to come out here, and, by Darlington offering the pace car lap, they get to experience the track,” Michael Skipper of Bennettsville said. He serves as recruitment supervisor for the American Red Cross in Florence.

“I also think they think about 9-11. People nowadays, since it’s been eight years ago, they want to help people and do something positive,” he said.

In 2006, the NASCAR Foundation contacted all the tracks on the circuit to start what would become an annual event to commemorate Sept. 11. Today, there are 22 tracks participating.

“Though some of the blood drives aren’t held on Sept.11, that was reason the NASCAR Foundation wanted to start this drive,” said Catharine Smith, Darlington Raceway marketing manager.

“Since Darlington Raceway and the American Red Cross partnered up, we’ll keep doing it on Sept 11 to commemorate everything that happened years ago,” said Chasity Humphries, donor recruiter for the American Red Cross.

About 90 people had come out during the first four hours of the blood drive, which lasted from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday.

Typically, there are 28 to 30 appointments for blood donations, but this year, there were 130. Combined with a large turnout of walkups, Smith said she thinks the goal of 156 units will be met.

“It’s gone up every time,” said Smith. Last year, the drive collected 126 units.

“We have a lot of first time donors, but we also have a lot of repeats,” said Smith. “I see familiar faces every year.”

“We need 500 units a day to help our hospitals in South Carolina,” said Humphries. “Today is going to be a huge help to all the patients in our hospitals.”

The need for blood is also higher during the summer months and coming off Labor Day weekend, according to Humphries.

Her advice to those considering blood donation: “Think about that person they’re going to be helping. It could be their neighbor, someone in their family or a complete stranger.”

“With every unit we collect, we are able to save up to three people’s lives,” she said.

Members of the American Red Cross from the Pee Dee and from Columbia were joined by a volunteer group from the Darlington County Institute of Technology to help with registration, donor flow, goodie bags and the canteen.

Donors received goodie bags and a pace car ride. The goodie bags included items contributed by Darlington Raceway, American Red Cross, NASCAR Foundation and its sponsors Nationwide and 3M.

Jesse Hill of Timmonsville didn’t come for the goodie bag, the pace car ride or to commemorate Sept. 11.

“I always feel it’s important to do anything that’s helpful to other people because other people have always been helpful to me,” said Hill. He has donated blood 40 to 50 times.

Rhonda Wise of Lexington, who donated for her second time on Friday, didn’t know it was Sept. 11.

“We didn’t even realize that until today because he [her fiancée] wanted to come ride the pace car. It just happened to fall on Sept. 11,” Wise said.

“I came because I was giving blood and because it’s here too. Darlington’s my hometown,” said Ernestine McElreath of Raleigh, N.C. McElreath brought her mother Virgiline Davison of Darlington with her to the track on Friday to take advantage of the pace car ride. Both are avid NASCAR fans, and both are blood donors.

“I try to give it whenever I’m available to give it,” said McElreath.

A person can donate blood only every 56 days or about every two months.

Info: http://peedee.redcross.org/ or (843) 662-8121