Save a Life and See America Winner
Judy Miller of Montezuma, NC, has won a $1,000 gas card from the Carolinas Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. Miller is one of three winners in the Save a Life and See America promotion, held during the critical needs period from July – September.

Miller donated at Cannon Memorial Hospital in Linville, NC. A retired United States Postal Service (USPS) employee and the former Montezuma USPS postmaster, Miller, a native of Boone, NC, has been a Red Cross blood donor for more than thirty years. Miller donates regularly at drives held in the North Carolina communities of Banner Elk, Boone, Sugar Mountain, Newland and Montezuma.

Judy Miller of Montezuma, NC, is winner of a $1,000 gas card from the Carolinas Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. Presenting Miller her prize was (pictured left to right) Jim Buckner, President, Cannon Memorial Hospital Volunteer Program; winner Judy Miller; Donna Hock, Donor Recruitment Representative of the Carolinas Blood Services Region; Jean Adams, treasurer of the Cannon Memorial Hospital Volunteer Program and Sallie Woodring, Director, Volunteer Services of the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.

Save a Life and See America Winner
Lisa Carrier of Sullivan County, TN., has won a $1,000 gas card from the Carolinas Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. Carrier is one of three winners in the Save a Life and See America promotion, held during the critical needs period from July – September.

Carrier donated at Midwest Instrument Company (MINCO) in Johnson City, where she once was employed. Carrier has been a Red Cross blood donor for several years and MINCO, a designer and manufacturer of molten metal quality sensors, devices and hardware, has been a regular sponsor of blood drives for many years as well.

Johnson City Area donor recruitment representative, Gwen Hunter (left), of the American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region presents Sullivan County’s Lisa Carrier (center), a $1,000 gas card as winner of the Save a Life and See America promotion. Joining them was Penny Humphreys of Johnson City’s Midwest Instrument Company (MINCO), where Carrier made her Red Cross blood donation.

Save a Life and See America Winner
Noelle Van Der Meid of Noelle Van Der Meid of Mt. Holly, NC, has won a $1,000 gas card from the Carolinas Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. Van Der Meid is one of three winners in the Save a Life and See America promotion, held during the critical needs period from July – September.

Van Der Meid donated at the Huntersville Donor Center, in Huntersville, NC. A sixth grade language arts and social studies teacher at Mt. Holly Middle School, Van Der Meid had donated several times in the past at blood drives held at the school. This was her first time donating at the Huntersville Blood Donation Center.

Presenting Van Der Meid her gas card was Cheryl Gunter, Blood Center Coordinator of the Huntersville Donor Center, located at 9800 Kincey Ave., Suite 110.

Summer Platelets Gas Card Winner
Joe Thomas of Fletcher, NC, has won a $500 gas card from the Carolinas Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. His name was drawn in the Summer Platelet Heroes promotion which encourages platelet donors to donate during the critical needs period between June and August.

Thomas, a longtime blood and platelet donor at the Asheville Donor Center is two donations away from donating 25 gallons.

A maintenance mechanic with Clement Pappas & Company, Inc., Thomas first began donating after a serious automobile accident in college resulted in his needing blood. Several of Thomas' friends and classmates donated in his honor and Thomas decided then that he too wanted to help others, just as he had been helped with blood donations.

Joe Thomas is presented a $500 gas card from Barbara Newman, platelet recruiter at the Asheville Donor Center with the American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region.

Save a Life and Go Far
Janine Vinson of Rock Hill, SC, has won a $750 gas card from American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region. Vinson made her prize-winning donation at Rock Hill's Oakdale Baptist Church.

Vinson, who works in inventory control at Marmon/Keystone Corporation in Charlotte, NC, has been a whole blood and platelet donor for many years. To date, her donations have totaled nearly 48 gallons. Mother of two children and grandmother of four, Vinson donated during the 4th Annual Sarah Deason Blood Drive. Sarah, 16-years old, was critically injured in an automobile accident eight years ago. Oakdale Baptist Church has made the annual drive a huge success and Sarah and her mother, Sherry Deason, attend annually.

Presenting Vinson her prize was Kristin Minotti, Senior Recruitment Representative with the Carolinas Blood Services Region of the Red Cross. Also present and representing Oakdale Baptist Church was drive coordinator Louanne Casey.

Presenting Rock Hill, SC's, Janine Vinson (second from right) her 'Save a Life and Go Far' $750 gas card is Kristin Minotti, American Red Cross Senior Recruitment Representative (far right). Also present were Louanne Casey of Oakdale Baptist Church (far left), Sherry Deason and daughter, Sarah Deason (front), who is honored with an annual blood drive in her honor at the church.

Save a Life and Go Far
Amanda Stanley of Whiteville, NC, has won a $750 gas card from American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region.

Stanley won the prize after making her first blood donation at a drive held at Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church in Clarendon, NC. Stanley said the gas card would be helpful in supporting her daily work commute from Whiteville to Loris, SC, and even more helpful for her husband's nearly 100-mile daily commute to and from Wilmington, NC.

Tanya Tilley-Hall, Red Cross donor recruitment representative, and Stanley were joined for the prize presentation by Pastor Victor Crawford, whose church, Antioch Baptist Church, will sponsor the next area church blood drive. Also present was area blood drive sponsor, Larry Cribb, who has sponsored drives this summer where more than 250 units of blood have been collected.

Amanda Stanley (far left) is presented a $750 gas card from Tanya Tilley-Hall, donor recruitment representative with the American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region. They were joined at Clarendon, NC's, Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church by Pastor Victor Crawford (second from right) of Antioch Baptist Church and local blood drive sponsor, Larry Cribb.

Save A Life & See Hollywood
Cynthia Rogers of Wilmington, NC, won the May 2008 promotion, "Save a Life and See Hollywood." Rogers received Delta Air Lines roundtrip tickets for two, a complimentary 2-night weekend stay for two and Universal Studios tour for two.

Rogers, a part-time instructor and supervisor of interns at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, is a regular blood donor at the Wilmington Donation Center.

Originally from Wisconsin, Rogers moved to North Carolina ten years ago and has been a blood donor ever since. Asked if she regarded herself as lucky, Rogers replied, "I guess I am because I have good health, terrific friends and a great family." She added, "I enjoy volunteering to help others and donating blood is a very good way to volunteer."

Cynthia Rogers (left) receives her 'Save a Life and See Hollywood' prize from Shannon Jordan, Blood Center Coordinator at the Wilmington Donation Center of the American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region.

Three High School Seniors Earn 2008 Red Cross Scholarships

Three high school seniors from across North Carolina have been selected to receive 2008 American Red Cross High School Scholarships. The scholarships (first place: $1,000; second: $750 and third: $500) will aid the three this fall when the students are scheduled to begin their collegiate studies.

Winner of the $1,000 scholarship is Brittany Nicole Padgett of Ridgecrest, NC, a graduate of Charles D. Owen High School. She has enrolled at Western Carolina University and plans to major in Nursing. Among her many awards and honors, Brittany was nominated for inclusion into Who’s Who Among American High School Students during her sophomore, junior and senior years, and was named to the National Honor Society all three years. The senior class homecoming queen was student government president during her 9th and 10th grade years.

Noelle Elizabeth Kelly of Goldsboro, NC, a graduate of Eastern Wayne High School, will receive the $750 scholarship. She has been selected for enrollment at Duke University in Durham, NC. Noelle has her sites on pursuing a double minor in Spanish and Mathematics and a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Management. At Eastern Wayne, Noelle earned the Tom Suiter Extra Effort Award from WRAL-TV; participated in Advanced Student Piano Recital and was a semi-finalist in the 2008 National Achievement Scholarship Program, as well as an inductee into the National honor Society.

Heather Austin of Newland, NC, a graduate of Avery County High School, is the recipient of the $500 scholarship. Heather has enrolled in East Tennessee State University’s Pre-Med program and plans to specialize in Neo Natal Intensive Care. Heather won the Best in French Award through Appalachian State University’s Upward Bound and completed Camp Med through Wake Forest University. Heather also served as an Historian Reporter for Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), which she was a member throughout her high school years and an officer for one year.

Numerous students from across the Carolinas Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross entered the competition. Scholarship criteria were based on grade point averages, a written essay relating to the American Red Cross and recommendation letters.