June 14, 2005

Blood Collection Organizations and Advocacy Groups Partner With America Online to Raise Awareness About Blood Donation

Washington, D.C. — In celebration of World Blood Donor Day, the nation’s leading blood collection organizations and advocacy groups have joined with America Online (AOL) to raise awareness about the critical need for blood donations. AABB, America’s Blood Centers, the American Red Cross and the Give Life Foundation are partnering with AOL to launch an online public awareness initiative aimed at encouraging young people in America to donate blood.

“Every two seconds someone in America needs blood, and to meet this ongoing need, it is essential to foster a new generation of lifelong donors,” said Karen Shoos Lipton, AABB’s chief executive officer. “The generous, corporate philanthropic support of AOL will help to raise blood donation awareness, thereby helping to ensure that our nation has a safe and adequate blood supply for years to come.”

This unique Web-based initiative has the potential to reach millions of online consumers, providing them with information about blood, donation opportunities and information on how individuals can help to make a difference in their community. This information will be promoted for three weeks on AOL CityGuide, the leading local entertainment guide online, including local sites covering more than 300 U.S. cities.

“America Online is proud to join with the nation's leading blood collection organizations and advocacy groups to raise awareness around the need for blood donors,” said Rich D'Amato, America Online's vice president for community investment. “This is an issue that, at some time or another, touches the life of nearly every person in America. We hope that by contributing AOL's ability to reach millions of people — especially young people — we will help make blood donation a lifelong part of each American's personal commitment to give back to and serve their community.”

This new awareness initiative coincides with the June 14 celebration of World Blood Donor Day, which recognizes voluntary, unpaid blood donors worldwide for their lifesaving contributions. The date of June 14 also marks the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the Nobel Prize winner who created the ABO blood group system.

“The Give Life Foundation was proud to play an important role in identifying the partnership opportunities between AOL and the blood community,” said Bart S. Fisher, Give Life Foundation’s chairman. “AOL’s extensive Web-based presence will make it easier for its young demographic following to make a significant difference in their cities by donating blood.”

To learn more about blood donation, visit AOL Keyword: Blood Saves or aolcityguide.com.

For more information on the participating groups, visit:
America Online: www.aol.com
AABB: www.aabb.org
America’s Blood Centers: www.americasblood.org
American Red Cross: www.redcross.org
Give Life Foundation: www.give-life.org and www.givelifewristbands.com

June 29, 2005
Giving Back – Team Give Life Tells You How
By Wendy Booher

Giving Back – Team Give Life Tells You How in their Race Across America (RAAM)

Like a police lineup for do-gooders, Team Give Life filed onto the awards stage this
morning after crossing the finish line at 7:50. Lurking among this team, Lou
Lamoureux, revealed to the audience nothing that gave away his identity as a
kidney-transplant patient.

Lamoureux, a gold medallist in the 2002 World Transplant Games, received a kidney
from his mother in 2000. Lamoureux and his four-man Team Give Life endured RAAM to
finish with a greater purpose of increasing awareness of the chronic shortage of the
U.S. blood supply and encourage the donation of blood, blood products, organs and
tissues. The race, according to comments from Lamoureux, was secondary to their
stated. mission

"I think for 6-7 days we knew we were going up against tough competition," said
Lamoureux, "the important thing was to spread the word about blood, organ and tissue
donation."

Lamoureux pointed out that during a crisis, such as 9/11, Americans came out in
droves to give blood but the day-to-day need for blood donation sometimes falls on
the shoulders of charitable members of the medical community.

Team Give Life completed RAAM with a time of 7 days, 14 hours, 39 minutes.

Read More

December 18,2004
Parade Magazine Cover Story "The Gift of Life"

Give-Life.org featured along with other organizations dedicated to increasing the awarness of the shotage of the organ supply in the U.S.

Read More on Parade.com