For Immediate Release:
July 15, 2008
Two blood donors win top prizes
$500 gasoline card, Rod Stewart tickets awarded at drawing in Freehold
FREEHOLD – Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry sure can pick a winner – two winners, in fact!
At a drawing held at a Board of Chosen Freeholders’ meeting on July 10, the freeholder reached into a bag and retrieved the names of two top-prize winners in a drawing sponsored by the Central Jersey Blood Center. The entrants all participated in a blood drive on July 8.
“It is estimated that 95 percent of the population will need blood at some point in their lives, so I am pleased to learn that the Monmouth County drive was successful,” Freeholder Burry said. “Blood donated in Monmouth County helps our hospitals, and the need typically goes up during the summer. I want to thank all those who took the time to visit our Health Department and make a donation.”
Susan Greitz of Freehold won Rod Stewart tickets for a concert at the PNC Bank Arts Center next month. Margaret Mara, a county employee, won a $500 gasoline card. Before resuming the freeholder meeting, Freeholder Burry telephoned the winners to tell them of their good fortune. Greitz was unavailable, but Mara, a microfilm machine operator at the County Archives, was contacted.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Mara, who donates blood as often as she can. “I was really happy to be able to donate and get the $10 gas card. But now I can go cross country. I can’t remember the last time I filled up my tank due to the high cost of gas prices. It’s usually $10 here and $20 there.”
Dana Hanlon, an account executive with Central Jersey Blood Center, said the blood drive was a huge success and came at a critical time. It was anticipated that the blood drive would yield about 60 units of blood, she said, but high turnout resulted in 115 units of blood being donated.
“The July 4th weekend is the biggest trauma weekend of the year, because of the big influx of people,” Hanlon said. “When we came in the following Monday our shelves were empty, so it was nice to be able to immediately replace the blood. We service all hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties, so all of the blood we collect at our donation sites is being used by local patients.”
All blood donors on July 8 were awarded $10 Exxon/Mobil gasoline cards. All of the participants were eligible for the grand-prize drawing.
Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry uses a speaker phone at the July 10 freeholder meeting to inform county employee Margaret Mara that she won the $500 gasoline card in a drawing sponsored by the Central Jersey Blood Center. Dana Hanlon, an account representative with the Blood Center, looks on.
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