Health & Fitness
Win An Elvis-Inspired Trip, Guitar By Donating Blood In Redondo Beach
The American Red Cross will give a lucky blood donor the chance to live like Elvis Presley for three nights.
![Anyone who donates blood, platelets or plasma during June will be automatically entered to win a three-night stay at The Guest House at Graceland.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/24074589/20220613/030218/styles/patch_image/public/untitled-1-1___13145931072.jpg)
REDONDO BEACH, CA — The American Red Cross will give a lucky blood donor the chance to live like Elvis Presley with a three-night trip to Memphis, Tennessee.
Anyone who donates blood, platelets or plasma during June will be automatically entered to win a three-night stay at The Guest House at Graceland, an Elvis-themed hotel next door to Presley's Memphis home.
"Not only did Elvis Presley leave an everlasting fingerprint on the world as the first global rock and roll icon, but as a blood donor, he also left a legacy of generosity and community service that continues to this day," the American Red Cross said on its website.
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The American Red Cross will pick only one winner, who can bring a guest along on the trip. The trip will also include a VIP Elvis Entourage Tour of Graceland, Presley's home, along with two plane tickets to Memphis, a $500 voucher and a Gibson guitar.
The promotion is a celebration of World Blood Donor Day on Tuesday and the new Baz Luhrmann movie "Elvis," which comes out June 24.
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The American Red Cross will soften the blow for donors who don't get so lucky. All donors in June will receive a $5 gift card to the merchant of their choice.
The Red Cross in January announced its first-ever national blood crisis, the worst shortage in over a decade, according to the organization. The organization provides 40 percent of the nation's blood supply and was forced to limit hospital distributions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Blood donations decline in late spring and early summer — especially during holiday weeks, like Memorial Day and Independence Day — but the need for blood and platelet transfusions doesn’t take a summer break," the Red Cross said in a news release. "Generous blood and platelet donors are critically important in ensuring lifesaving care is available the moment patients need it."
Ready for a chance to take an epic trip? Here is where to donate blood near Redondo Beach in June:
- Redondo Beach Public Library, 303 N. Pacific Coast Highway. Thursday, June 16 from 9-3.
- Ken Miller Recreation Center, 3330 Civic Center Drive N., Torrance. Wednesday, June 15 from 7:30-1:30.
- Torrance Blood Donation Center, 2814 Sepulveda Blvd., Torrance. Monday, June 13 from 11:30-7:30.
- Ganahl Lumber, 2600 Del Amo Blvd., Torrance. Tuesday, June 14 from 10-4.
Sign up for an appointment on the Red Cross website.
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