Federated, America's Blood Centers Launch 9-11 Initiative
Federated Department Stores Inc. and America's Blood Centers began a nationwide blood donation pledge drive Friday in memory of Sept. 11, 2001.The initiative, called A Gift From Your Heart, seeks pledges for future blood donations from people nationally. Donor pledge cards are available in all Federated stores and facilities through Sept. 15 and online via the company's Web sites through Sept. 30, including macys.com and fds.com/agiftfromyourheart.
America's Blood Centers, the nation's largest network of nonprofit, community-based blood centers, will organize pledge cards and forward them to their affiliate centers nationwide. Local blood centers then will contact donors to help meet demand for blood in their own communities. In addition, these donations help prepare the national blood supply for possible future emergencies.
Participants pledge to donate a pint of blood at a location near their home or workplace when they are contacted to do so.
Federated will encourage donations in newspapers, including a clip-out pledge form that can be mailed in or dropped off at a store. Messages also will be included in customer direct mail pieces, in-store posters, monthly credit card statements and on register receipts.
All blood donor pledges will be channeled to the national office of America's Blood Centers in Washington, where they will be sorted geographically and forwarded to the local blood center nearest the donor. When local blood centers need help from volunteer blood donors to save lives, donors will be contacted to arrange a time and place for the donation.
