Blood drive to be held at Darlington Raceway

Darlington Raceway and the American Red Cross will hold a blood drive Thursday to observe the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Chasity Humphries, donor recruiter for the American Red Cross, said the event promises to be an exciting day for everyone involved.

“This is our third year doing this on Sept. 11,” she said.

Humphries said the raceway will be sponsoring several prizes and giveaways for anyone who donates blood that day.

Catharine Smith, marketing manager for Darlington Raceway, said the “Track Too Tough to Tame” will be giving back to the community it serves by hosting Thursday’s event.

“Darlington Raceway is providing the facility, and we are also offering a pace car ride for donors,” she said.

In addition to the pace car rides, the race track will have a drawing for two VIP tickets to the Nationwide Series race at Darlington on May 8.

“We’ll be giving two of everything,” Smith said. “Two pre-race pit passes and two access passes to attend pre-race activities prior to the start of the Nationwide Series race.”

The winner and a guest also will be allowed to stand on the infield stage during driver introductions, Smith said.

Humphries said another way the raceway has helped bring in the donors is to offer a chance to win a meet and greet session with NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson.

“This 9/11 blood drive with the NASCAR Nation is going on across the United States,” Humphries said. “At every track where there is a blood drive, there will be a chance for a meet and greet with Jimmy Johnson.”

Humphries said the blood drive couldn’t come at a better time of year, because the summer months often are slow for the Red Cross.

“We’re coming off of the summer months with donations extremely low,” she said. “We could desperately use people’s help.”

Giving blood typically takes roughly an hour of a person’s time. In that hour, Humphries said, the donation being made can save as many as three lives.

To be eligible for the gift and drawings, people must be 18 or older and either donate blood or join the bone marrow registry, Smith said.

If You’re Going

What: Third Annual NASCAR Foundation Blood and Marrow Drive

When: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday

Where: The Infield Care Center at Darlington Raceway (enter through Gate Six off S.C. 151)