Win An Elvis-Inspired Trip, Guitar By Donating Blood In Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, 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.

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.

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 Santa Monica in June:

• American Red Cross Santa Monica, 1450 11th Street, Santa Monica. June 12 from 1-7 p.m.
• Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey. June 14 from 10-4 p.m.
• Julian Dixon Library, 4975 Overland Ave., Culver City. June 17 from 11-5 p.m.
• Culver City Blood Donation Center, 5539 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City. June 17 from 7-3 p.m.

Sign up for an appointment on the Red Cross website.