Fleet Week San Diego to Host Bloodmobile at Big Bay Family Festival and Coronado Speed Festival

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The San Diego Fleet Week Foundation has joined forces with the American Red Cross to offer those attending this year's Big Bay Family Festival and Coronado Speed Festival the opportunity to donate blood to support those with a medical or disaster-related need – and to receive an incredible award for doing so!

The first 200 who successfully donate at the Fleet Week Big Bay Family Festival, September 17-18 at the Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego, will receive a ticket for admission to the Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival the following weekend, September 24-25, absolutely FREE (a $25 value.)  Admission to this family-friendly event is FREE.

"The San Diego Fleet Week Foundation is delighted to partner with the American Red Cross and assist with their efforts to collect blood at our two wonderful public events," says Alexandra Squires, Executive Director of the Foundation.  "San Diegans are very supportive of our young men and women in uniform and I expect that they will turn out in significant numbers to also support the Red Cross."

The Bloodmobile will also be on-site during the Coronado Speed Festival so donors can help ensure that there is enough blood for children with leukemia, cancer patients, disaster victims, and the countless others in need of blood transfusions.  People assume that others will donate and blood will always be there when it is needed. Unfortunately, less than 3% of eligible Californians actually make the effort to donate. There are currently not enough donors scheduling appointments to avoid the possibility of a local blood shortage.

Donors at both events may enter a regional drawing for a $1,500 American Express Gift Card. To schedule your appointment, or for more information, please go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: FleetWeek.

Coronado Speed Festival tickets are on sale now at http://www.fleetweeksandiego.org/tickets.html.  In advance, single-day tickets cost $25, or $35 for both days.  Tickets will also be available at the venue ($35 one day and $45 for both days).  Once again, all active duty, active reserve and their direct-depend military ID-holders will enjoy FREE admission to this year's event.  Admission is free for children 12 and under, both military and non-military.

About Fleet Week San Diego
The Coronado Speed Festival is Fleet Week San Diego's preeminent event. Fast-paced, thrilling auto racing and exhibitions for car enthusiasts of all ages mark the widespread draw of this event.  Staged at one of racings' most distinctive locations – Naval Air Station North Island, the birthplace of Naval Aviation – it's the only place to see live racing on an active U.S. Navy runway.

Due to last year's overwhelming success, the San Diego Fleet Week Foundation is pleased to bring back its FREE event, open to the public, the Fleet Week Big Bay Family Festival, featuring ship tours, military static displays, in-water demonstrations, live entertainment, and a children's fun zone.  Tentatively-scheduled ships available for tour are the USS Princeton (CG-59) a guided missile cruiser, and the USS Rushmore (LSD-47), a dock landing ship.  

The San Diego Fleet Week Foundation is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation. In addition to honoring the military services through the annual Fleet Week events, the Foundation's goals are to foster awareness of the contributions made by enlisted military personnel and their families, to enhance relationships between the civilian, business and military communities, to provide events that military personnel and their families can attend at little or no cost, and to raise funds for charitable efforts benefiting enlisted service members and their families.  

For more information, or for a complete listing of all of the Fleet Week events, please visit www.fleetweeksandiego.org or you can find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fleetweeksd or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fleetweeksd.

SOURCE San Diego Fleet Week Foundation