Nearly 2,000 sign up for Gift-of-Life Marathon

Appointments for the upcoming Gift-of-Life Marathon Blood Drive were filled today, with nearly 2,000 people signed up to help Rutland County take a run at the national one-day blood collection record.
‘While we are no longer taking appointments, we encourage walk-ins to turn out next Tuesday,’ said CVPS spokesman and co-organizer Steve Costello. ‘We are thrilled with the appointments, which have come from across the county and region, but we still need people who couldn’t make an appointment to join us in the run for the national record. Given deferrals and last-minute cancellations, walk-ins will be critical to the effort.’
The national record is 1,968 pints, set this fall in Manchester, N.H. , which also broke Rutland’s New England record of 1,400 pints in a day, set at last year’s Gift-of-Life Marathon.
The December 20 blood drive, from 9 am to 6 pm, will be held at the Paramount Theatre, American Legion Post 31, and the College of St. Joseph gymnasium. The event is sponsored by CVPS and WJJR in cooperation with the American Red Cross.
Organizers remind donors that they must have a photo driver’s license, passport or Red Cross blood card, or two forms of ID. Walk-ins will be welcome at all three sites, but the Paramount Theatre should be able to accommodate more walk-ins than the other sites.
Parking will be free from 6 am to 11 pm in the state garage on West Street.
The Gift-of-Life Marathon has broken the New England one-day blood drive record three straight years. After Manchester, NH, broke that and the national record, organizers expanded staffing and added a third location for this year’s drive, the College of Street Joseph, to give the greater-Rutland community a shot at the national record.
‘In some ways it is hard to believe we’re even having this conversation, but the region has surprised us every year with the response to our challenges, and we’re hopeful the community can do it again,’ said WJJR’s Terry Jaye.
Costello also highlighted the importance of the drive, beyond setting records. ‘The blood supply always drops perilously toward the end of the year, but the need never ends,’ he said. ‘The drive was born from the desire to ensure an adequate blood supply for accident victims, cancer patients and others who need blood around the holiday period.’