LifeSource Offers Twilight Fans a Way to be Among First to See the Highly-Anticipated Sequel New Moon

LifeSource Offers Twilight Fans a Way to be Among First to See the Highly-Anticipated Sequel New Moon

Chicagoland's Blood Center Announces Special Blood Drive for Fans of Popular Vampire Series

CHICAGO, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- With midnight showings of the next installment of the popular Twilight movie series New Moon selling out more than two months prior to the sequel's November 20 U.S. release date, LifeSource, Chicagoland's Blood Center, is offering Chicagoans a way to be among the first to see the highly anticipated movie while helping to save area lives.

In honor of the release of Twilight: New Moon, LifeSource is hosting a special New Moon themed blood drive event on Saturday, October 24 at the Holiday Inn in Naperville, located at the corner of Diehl Road and Naperville Road, the LifeSource blood drive will be held from eight AM to eight PM. The event will feature a limited appearance by Twilight: Eclipse star Booboo Stewart ("Seth Clearwater").

The first 250 donors who schedule an appointment for the drive at www.lifesource.org and present to donate blood will receive a free pair of tickets to a special midnight screening of Twilight: New Moon at either the Hollywood Boulevard Cinema in Woodridge, IL or the Hollywood Palms Cinema in Naperville, IL on Nov. 19, 2009, the night prior to the opening day of the movie's release. These will be one of the first public showings of the film.

The next 250 donors that register for an appointment at www.lifesource.org and present to donate will receive a free single ticket to the midnight screening and a wristband to meet Booboo Stewart in person between two PM to four PM at the blood drive and receive one signed autograph photo. Additional single tickets to the midnight screenings are available while supplies last to donors who show up and donate the day of the blood drive as a "walk-in."

"We are constantly looking for new and compelling ways to build our donor base. By focusing on what is hot in pop culture, in this case the Twilight craze, we can engage a very important audience," said Roxanne Tata, vice president and chief operating officer of LifeSource. "Our goal is to make blood donation fun and educate younger audiences on the importance of giving back to the community. We also want to raise awareness that when people donate one pint of blood they can save up to three lives right here in the Chicago area."

Donating blood is a very simple, easy and free way to give back to the Chicagoland community. Each blood donation can save up to three area lives. If this drive's goal of collecting 700 donations is met, more than 2,000 Chicagoans would receive the gift of life.

Pre-registered appointments for this popular drive are highly recommended but walk-ins are welcome. Those interested in participating in the drive and securing their two tickets to the midnight screening can register at www.lifesource.org or call 1-877-LIFESOURCE (543-3786).

In order to give blood, donors must be at least 17 years old (16 year olds may donate with a parent present), weigh at least 110 pounds and not have received any tattoos or piercings (ear piercing are ok) in the last year. There may be other eligibility requirements that apply that will be determined on an individual basis on site.

In addition to the October 24th blood drive, LifeSource kicked off the Twilight: New Moon promotion with a presence at the Chicago Twilight Convention on Saturday, October 3rd at the Westin O'Hare. This very targeted drive yielded an impressive response and collected 60 units of blood. These donations helped save up to 180 lives in the Chicago area.

About LifeSource

LifeSource, Chicagoland's non-profit blood center, is the largest supplier of blood and blood products in Illinois, and one of the largest blood centers in the country. Established in 1987 through a merger of the Blood Center of Northern Illinois and the American Red Cross Blood Services-Mid-America Region, LifeSource is owned and operated by The Institute for Transfusion Medicine (ITxM(SM)).

LifeSource operates 22 conveniently-located community donor centers, two mobile unit-supported donor centers, and conducts an average of 10 mobile blood drives daily (or 100 mobile blood drives weekly). Serving patients in six northern Illinois counties, LifeSource provides a half million blood products annually to approximately 60 hospitals - including 10 Level 1 Trauma Centers - in meeting the need for patient transfusion therapy. For further information surrounding LifeSource, visit www.LifeSource.org.

About The Institute for Transfusion Medicine

Founded in 1987, The Institute for Transfusion Medicine (SM) (ITxM(SM)) is one of the nation's foremost organizations specializing in transfusion medicine and related services. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, and with offices in Chicagoland, ITxM(SM) and its experienced team offer patients and medical facilities comprehensive support, including consultation with our specialized medical staff and delivery and testing of blood products by our skilled technicians. Its two blood centers, Central Blood Bank in Pittsburgh and LifeSource in Chicago, provide nearly one million units of lifesaving blood products annually. While blood collection is a fundamental part of the organization's purpose, providing safe blood products to hospitals and, ultimately, patients in need is their primary goal.

Source: LifeSource

CONTACT: Gibson Patterson, +1-630-315-2972, Gibson@hensonconsulting.com,
for LifeSource

Web Site: http://www.lifesource.org/

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