By: Angie Springs, American Red Cross 

The staff at the Red Cross blood donation center in Springfield, Missouri, know Ashley Corsolini on a first-name basis.

They should, since Ashley has donated every 56 days for the past six years, hitting her four-gallon donation milestone in near record time. Whenever she goes in to donate, it feels like walking into the “Cheers” bar.

Being a regular blood donor also meant that she was eligible to donate during the month of December, which qualified her for a special promotion. Thanks to Prime Video and their film “Candy Cane Lane,” those who came to give blood, platelets or AB Elite plasma during December were automatically entered for a chance to win a $1,000 Amazon.com gift card and a 65-inch Omni QLED Series Amazon Fire TV.

And Ashley won!

At first, she thought that it might be a scam, but after further conversation with the Red Cross representative who called her and verifying the award through the Red Cross national headquarters, she knew that it was legitimate.

Now that spring is here, Ashley is really excited to use the Amazon gift card to help upgrade her garden supplies. And, of course, she also now enjoys a really big TV!

She encourages others to step up to donate. One of her favorite things about donating is receiving the notification through the Red Cross Blood Donor App telling her where her blood donation went. Recently, she saw that her donation went to the hospital where she was born. Talk about full circle.

Everywhere Ashley goes, she seems to notice someone who is connected through the Red Cross. From the local donut shop to traveling on vacation, she can easily spot a Red Cross blood donor t-shirt and enjoys striking up a conversation with that person.

As far as advice for potential blood donors, Ashley suggested, “Drink a lot of water the night before. And just show up. Ask questions. Take a friend with you. And if you cannot donate, then recruit a volunteer on your behalf.”

To make an appointment or to get more information, simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.  

All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients.