Reno Friends! Mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 28th! It is with great excitement to announce that the parents at Hunsberger Elementary School are doing a Blood Drive in honor of Hunsberger’s little warrior Nate Christy.

Many of you know that our 9-year-old hero was admitted to the hospital in January for what seemed like a routine appendectomy. After experiencing life-threatening complications, Nate endured seven surgeries, three blood transfusions and spent nearly six weeks at Renown’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The transfusions that helped save his life inspired him to “pay it forward” by hosting a blood drive of his own.

The “NateStrong – Save in Seven” Blood Drive will take place at Hunsberger Elementary School (2505 Crossbow Court, Reno NV 89511) on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 from 2:00pm to 7:00pm. United Blood Services of Reno will staff the drive with mobile units and will also offer a complimentary Cholesterol Test with every blood donation.

The event will include festivities for the entire family, including First Responder vehicles from the Reno Fire Department and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. There will also be snacks, giveaways and a grand prize drawing of a limousine ride and lunch with Nate.

If you are not a candidate for giving blood, there are other ways to participate! We would welcome donations of cookies and juice boxes the day of the event, and we need help posting flyers throughout town. If you own a business and would be open to displaying a poster in your window or on a bulletin board, please let me know!

The number seven is symbolic to this drive:
• 7: The number of surgeries Nate endured
• 7: The number of actual minutes it takes to donate blood
• 1 in 7: People entering the hospital who will need blood
• 7%: Your percentage of body weight in blood

In just 7 minutes, YOU can help save a life like Nate’s through the gift of blood.

For more information and to sign up for an appointment, please visit www.BloodHero.com and enter sponsor code N1NCS or call 1-800-696-4484. Walk-ins will be accepted, but sign-ups are preferred to help streamline the process and plan for staffing.

See the below flyer for more info, and feel free to spread the word!

This community is NATESTRONG!

Heather Crookston Neal