Georgia Red Cross Tornado Relief Director Jessica Miller, dressed as the popular HBO-Game of Thrones character Khaleesi, Queen of the Dragons, overcame her fear of needles and gave blood for the first time last week at the Columbus Blood Donation Center. The new Red Cross-HBO partnership for March encourages viewers to “join the army of the living” and help make blood available for patients in need. It’s resonating with fans like Jessica across the country who want to bleed #ForTheThrone and get the T-shirt to prove it (while supplies last).

“I’m a die-hard Game of Thrones fan and when I heard about our new partnership with HBO urging fans to donate blood, I was inspired to give and rally other Red Cross staff and volunteers in Georgia to join me,” said Jessica, who has recruited about 20 people to donate at Red Cross centers in Athens, Atlanta Columbus, and Macon.

The HBO-Game of Thrones partnership is a celebration of the eighth and final season of the series. It’s the largest blood donation promotional effort by an entertainment company in Red Cross history. Fans who present to donate blood or platelets by March 17 will automatically be entered for a chance to win one of five trips to the season 8 world premiere of Game of Thrones. For more information, visit:  How You Can Bleed for the Throne.

As for our Queen Khaleesi, she donated blood on her lunch hour, then headed back to operation headquarters in a Red Cross shirt to resume her real-life role: making sure hundreds of Georgians in tornado-stricken communities get the help they need. There’s more than one way to be a Red Cross star!