For immediate release - September 17, 2012
Leesburg Police and Fire Departments Compete for Needed Blood Donations
Help support the community and save lives as City of Leesburg police and firefighters compete for much-needed blood donations.
Leesburg’s Battle of the Badges to support Florida’s Blood Centers will run from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the corner of Magnolia and Canal streets.
Two mobile collection buses will be available. One bus will receive blood donations on behalf of the fire department. The other bus will represent the police department. The winner is the department that receives the most donations.
Donors will receive a competition T-shirt and a special voucher for buy-one-get-one-free admission to the Leesburg Partnership’s downtown haunted maze, which begins the evening of Oct. 5 and runs weekends through Halloween at Canal and Main streets.
Making a donation is safe, simple and takes very little time – often about 30 minutes to an hour. Photo identification is required. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds or more.
Your contribution helps to meet growing demands from medical patients in need of blood in this part of Central Florida.
A single blood donation can help to save the lives of up to three people. Most donations are supplied to local hospitals and medical facilities within two to three days.
Some blood also can assist rescue efforts from natural disasters and other emergencies around the country.
Leesburg also will host blood donations at the Partnership’s annual Boo Bash Halloween event and Saturday Morning Market on Oct. 27 at Towne Square next to City Hall. For more information, contact Florida’s Blood Centers at (352) 728-1223. Visit www.floridasbloodcenters.org to schedule an appointment. Use Sponsor Code: M75H.
Blood Donation Facts
- Blood is needed every two seconds by patients in the United States.
- More than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day.
- About 16 million blood donations are collected across the country each year.
- Five million patients receive blood each year.
- The average adult has about 10 pints of blood – about one pint is donated each visit.
- Healthy donors may give blood
Leesburg is a progressive city of more than 20,000 residents in northwest Lake County. The city government serves twice as many people with its electric, gas, water, wastewater and fiber-optic public utilities. Leesburg also is a central hub for commerce, attracting 50,000 people to work each weekday.
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