DAYTON, Ohio – The Top 10 Finalists in the Community Blood Center (CBC) “iFocus on Saving Lives” campaign will gather at CBC’s Dayton headquarters Thursday, Sept. 20 at 5:30 p.m. to tear open their envelopes and find out who will drive away in the car they have been dreaming about all summer. Only one envelope will contain the Golden Ticket, signifying the winner of a new, “Race Red” 2012 Ford Focus.
A computer randomly chose 10 names from everyone age 18 and older who registered to donate blood at a CBC branch or mobile blood drive during the May 29 through Sept. 1 “iFocus on Saving Lives” summer blood drive campaign. The Top 10 Finalists are:
Norman Esler, Tipp City - Norman, age 69, is retired from the FAA inflight service station at the Dayton Airport and served as a volunteer with Honor Flight. He’s a Navy veteran from the Vietnam era and a life-long blood donor who entered the drawing at the Troy Church of the Brethren CBC blood drive in August.
Elisabeth Long, West Manchester – Elisabeth, age 23, is a registered nurse, a volunteer EMT and a member of the West Manchester board of public affairs. She has just returned to school to pursue her B.A. in nursing. She entered the drawing when she donated at the North Central Rescue CBC blood drive in July.
Vincent Leary, Greenville – Vincent, age 36, works at Greenville Technology, Inc. He entered the drawing when he donated at the CBC blood drive GTI hosted in July.
John Kavanaugh, Dayton – John, age 53, works at JP Morgan Chase. He is a long-time supporter of blood donations with 54 lifetime donations, the most among the finalists. He considers himself a die-hard U.D. Flyers and Bengals fan and also enjoys Bruce Springsteen, biking and boating. He started donating when he worked at Winters Bank and tries to donate every time he gets a reminder call. John entered the drawing when he donated at the downtown Dayton CBC in August.
David Stacy, Greenville – David, age 58, works at Hartzell Propeller in Piqua. His son Kenton is a Navy explosives expert in Afghanistan who was named the USO 2010 Sailor of the Year. David’s hobby is collecting and restoring pinball machines. He entered the drawing by donating at the Greenville Education Association CBC blood drive in July.
Erica Gwin, Kettering – Erica, age 32, is a nurse who started out as a phlebotomist and is now a case manager for Humana. She and her husband (a Bethel Twp. firefighter) are long-time advocates for blood and organ donations. She also drives a 2005 Ford Focus with 204,000 miles on it, logged during her five years as a traveling home nurse. She entered the drawing when she donated at the Dayton CBC in June.
Brett Frieberg, Miami University, Oxford – Brett, age 21, is a Miami University student from Dublin, OH who entered the drawing when he made his first lifetime donation at the Greek Week Blood Drive in late August. He is the philanthropy chairman for his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, which raises money for CancerFree KIDS. He was a little nervous about his first donation, but his girlfriend Ashley signed him up and assured him it would be easy and painless.
Morgan Neuman, Fairborn – Morgan, age 19, is the youngest finalist. He just finished a year on scholarship at Norwich University the Military College of Vermont where he assisted in community clean-up and rebuilding after the flood damage caused by hurricane Irene. He has enlisted in the U.S. Army where he will work in explosive ordinance disposal. He entered the drawing when he donated at the Fairborn Fire Dept. and WPAFB Fire Dept. Battle of the Badges CBC blood drive in June.
Catherine Remusat, Casstown – Catherine, age 26, just moved from Casstown to Dayton. She works at O’Charley’s and Outback and is studying to become a certified personal trainer. She is a “Noise Artist” and enjoys writing and performing music and poetry. She first donated at age 18 and likes to get a large T-shirt at blood drives to use as a pillow case. She was entered in the drawing at the Fletcher United Methodist Church blood drive in June.
Teresa Bowers, Troy – Teresa, age 58, is a system analyst for the surgery department of Upper Valley Medical Center. She entered the drawing when UVMC hosted a CBC blood drive in June. She has lived nearly her entire life in Troy and has been married 40 years. Her family calls her tenacious for completing her B.S. degree, despite 10 and 14 year gaps between enrollments. She’s active with Troy’s Altrusa club and says her favorite service work is with the Miami Valley Pet Therapy Association. The “kids” still at home are her dogs “Buddha” and “GG.”
All finalists have agreed to the contest rules, which includes attending the 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20 announcement event at the downtown Dayton CBC. The “iFocus on Saving Lives” Ford Focus giveaway campaign is sponsored by Dave Knapp Ford Lincoln in Greenville and REACH Magazine.
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Technology is making it faster and more convenient than ever to schedule your next blood donation. Just use your computer or smart phone to make an appointment online at www.DonorTime.com. You can also schedule your next appointment using your mobile device to scan the DonorTime QR code.Blood donation requirements: Donors are required to provide a photo ID that includes their full name. Past CBC donors are also asked to bring their CBC donor ID card. Donors must be at least 16 years of age (16 years old with parental consent: form available at www.givingblood.org or at CBC branch & blood drive locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, and be in good physical health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changes blood donor eligibility guidelines periodically. Individuals with eligibility questions are invited to email canidonate@cbccts.org or call 1(800)388-GIVE. Make an appointment at www.DonorTime.com.
Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services® is an independent, not-for-profit organization. Community Blood Center provides blood products to 24 hospitals within a 15-county service area in the Miami (Ohio) and Whitewater (Indiana) Valleys. For more information about Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services®, visit www.givingblood.org.