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Save a Life Tour Concludes in D.C.
Written by
Bonnie Gillespie
, Staff Writer, Redcross.org
Thursday, November 20, 2003 — “Without the Red Cross and without my transfusions, I wouldn’t be here today.”
As twenty-year-old Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor Lindsey Meglio spoke those words, the crowd of hundreds gathered at American Red Cross National Headquarters for the closing ceremony of the Save a Life Tour fell silent. Not only did the striking young woman exhibit an individual resolve, she represented one of the nine million lives saved by blood donations collected during the Save a Life Tour.
Marty Evans meets with Malorie Letcavage, Clare Larsen, Lindsey Meglio and Victor Griffin, each of whom shared their appreciation of life-saving blood donations at the Save a Life Tour closing event. |
As the largest blood donor initiative in the history of the American Red Cross, Save a Life Tour teams exceeded their goal of three million blood donations and collected almost 3.1 million donations, with each gift of blood saving three lives.
Over the past six months, the unique Red Cross caravan canvassed the country, logging more than 33,000 miles and visiting more than 300 communities across the U.S. Featuring two Red Cross convoys, including a mobile museum, the Save a Life Tour set out to boost the nation’s blood supply and educate the public about the importance of regular blood donations.
“From Hollywood, to Graceland, to Major League Baseball and Corporate America, the Save a Life Tour convoys have touched thousands of lives and helped to save even more,” said Marsh J. Evans, President and CEO of the Red Cross.
Evans went on to describe the assortment of unique community events that accompanied the Save a Life Tour, including the largest high school blood drive in recent history in Long Beach, a step show in Atlanta, celebrating Elvis’ birthday in Memphis, a food tasting event in Dallas and opening the NASDAQ in New York, just to name a few.
With each occasion strategically designed to inspire local residents to “save a life,” such events provided the fuel for the Save a Life Tour and allowed the Red Cross team welcomed stop-overs from “life on the road.”
The Save a Life Tour caravan opened for donations and tours in front of Red Cross offices.
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“Our staff and volunteers encountered dust storms, monsoons, 110-degree heat, floods and tornado threats all while seeing the best of what America has to offer,” said Evans. “From rodeos to baseball games, to fireworks, the Save a Life Tour 2003 saw the great diversity of America.”
During the Save a Life Tour, many donor groups traditionally out of reach turned out to roll up their sleeves. Blood drives accompanying the tour saw an increase in 17-19 year-old donors and in the overall ethnic diversity of participants. Additionally, more than 4,000 donors who hadn’t donated in recent years returned to give the gift of life.
But they weren’t the only ones eager to make a life-saving difference. As the ceremony closed, Lindsey Meglio and three other young people who had benefited directly from blood donations presented Evans with four large scrolls signed by more than 2,000 children from across America pledging to donate blood when they are age eligible.
Four large scrolls were presented at the ceremony, signed by more than 2,000 children from across America pledging to donate blood when they are age eligible. |
“These four scrolls represent the future blood donations of our country and they showcase the thousands of lives that you have touched through the Save a Life Tour over the past six months,” said Meglio.
With each mile the Save a Life Tour caravan traveled approximately 272 lives were saved through the blood donations collected by Red Cross staff and volunteers, making the organization’s largest-ever blood donor initiative an unprecedented success.
“While we are here to celebrate these gains and the momentum we have built, we encourage the American public to continue to donate,” said Evans. “We can’t ever predict when blood will be needed but having a blood supply available at a moment’s notice is a key component of preparedness.”
And even though the Tour has ended, the Red Cross is still here everyday to help Americans save a life. Contact your local Red Cross chapter to find out where you can donate blood and give the gift of life.
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