SONOMA, Calif. (June 3, 2016) — Sonoma Raceway and its fans helped saved lives throughout Northern California on Tuesday as nearly 40 people donated blood at the raceway's 16th annual verihealth High-Speed Blood Drive.
Sonoma Raceway and Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP) teamed up on the drive, which garnered 40 total units of blood. Since 2001, the High-Speed Blood Drive has generated over 1,300 pints of blood for area blood banks. This year's donations directly helped save the lives of two adult women, an adult male and an infant.
There was an extra treat for all donors on Tuesday: a high-speed lap around the 12-turn road course in a Toyota Camry with a professional driving instructor.
"I thought we would be going slowly, but he was flying and the tires were screeching going into the turns. It was way more fun than I thought," said Santa Rosa's Scott Dunham, who has not donated blood in 10 years. "I follow the raceway's Twitter account and they posted about giving blood and getting a hot lap, and I immediately signed up."
Blood drives are pivotal to blood banks as summer approaches and the number of donations declines, while the demand continues or even increases. The need for blood is even higher than usual this year with blood banks currently facing a shortage of both blood donations and donors.
For more information on donating blood with Blood Centers of the Pacific, visit www.bloodheroes.org.
