Five Points of Life Marathon 2013

What Are The Five Points? Blood, Apheresis, Marrow, Organ & Tissue, Cord Blood

This past Friday evening at the Lecanto High School football field and track, I had the pleasure of helping hand out medals at the annual Citrus County Five Points of Life Kids Marathon.  The Five Points of Life Marathon is presented by LifeSouth Community Blood Centers with the Citrus County School District along with other local sponsors. Forest Ridge Elementary school student Marleigh Miller sang our National Anthem to open the event (click here to view video of Marleigh singing).

The students run 25 miles in the school year, logging each mile incrementally and running the last 1.2 miles at the Kids Marathon. Citrus County is the largest of the Five Points of Life Marathons in all three of Alabama, Georgia and Florida states where LifeSouth services.

Over 850 students registered for the Marathon.  It is one of the highlights of my year being a small part of this event.  Students get an opportunity to not only do something healthy for their own bodies but they often end up educating the adults about giving blood.

This event is part of the work of the LifeSouth Citrus Advisory Council which I am proud to be a part of.  The Council helps to better provide our community with opportunities to learn about the Five Points!

What Are The Five Points? LifeSouth’s Five Points of Life program represents the five ways you can share life with others through the donation of whole blood, apheresis, marrow and blood cells, cord blood and organ & tissue.  100% of blood collected in Citrus County stays in Citrus County unless LifeSouth has excess.  Through the two hospitals in Citrus County over 2,000 units of blood are needed each month.  At the moment RH- and O- are in need.

I want give special thanks to the other local sponsors of Citrus Memorial hospital, Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center, WYKE, Central Florida College, Citrus Orthopedic and Joint Institute, Christie Dental, Progress Energy, Holiday Inn Express, Walmart, DRC Sports and Calypso Concessions.

Do something amazing, GIVE BLOOD TODAY!!!  Click here for the Blood Mobile Locator

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