Hanratty & Associates Partners With Memorial Blood Centers to Sponsor Community Blood Drive

ST. PAUL, Minn., June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Plymouth-based Hanratty & Associates invites all eligible members of the community to join its employees in a week-long company-sponsored blood drive beginning on June 20, 2011. At Hanratty, It's Personal. And working with Memorial Blood Centers to support the community gives everyone a chance to give back and help a patient in need.

Plymouth Police and Fire departments will also be participating in the Hanratty & Associates blood drive as part of the Battle of the Badges competition. Memorial Blood Centers hosts this friendly competition among Metro-area firefighters and police officers to get the most family members and friends to donate in their department's name. Police and fire supporters can ask for a Battle of the Badges ballot and register their donation under Plymouth Police or Fire.

You can make a positive impact on our community by participating in this blood drive. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are encouraged. To register for the blood drive and schedule a donation, please go online to Memorial Blood Centers: http://www.mbc.org/hanratty.

What?              Hanratty & Associates Blood Drive (at Wayzata Free Church)

When?              June 20 through 24, 2011

• Monday, June 20 • 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• Tuesday, June 21 • 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, June 22 • 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
• Thursday, June 23 • 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• Friday, June 24 • 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Where?        Wayzata Free Church

705 County Road 101 N, Plymouth, MN 55447

Why?              You can save a life and win great prizes!

All those presenting to donate on the days of the drive will receive a free SmashBurger coupon, and can enter to win:

• Minnesota Twins tickets (including a chance at the premium Donor of the Game seats)
• Four $25 gift cards for Target
• Four $25 gift certificates at Acapulco Restaurant
• Two $25 gift cards for Best Buy
• Gift certificate for Premier Auto (car detailing)
• Small jacuzzi suite at Best Western near Valley Fair in Shakopee
• Mid-sized suite at the Rosewood Bed & Breakfast in Hastings
• Plus additional raffle items donated by Hanratty partners

Every two seconds, someone needs blood—from premature infants and cancer patients to accident victims in crises. And making a donation is one way to give a potentially life-saving gift to friends, family, and community, as Memorial Blood Centers faces a demand of over 2,000 units a week to meet the needs of more than 30 hospital partners, including HCMC, North Memorial Medical Center, and Children's Hospitals and Clinics.

Donating blood is safe and convenient when you are:

1. In good health
2. 17 years or older - 16 with written parental consent
3. Free of antibiotics for 24 hours and symptom-free for a least 3 days following a cold or flu
4. Call 1-888-GIVE-BLD to check eligibility and specific height and weight restrictions that apply to 16-18 year-old donors

About Hanratty & Associates

Hanratty & Associates is a teamwork based firm specializing in employee benefits with a hometown approach to business. To us…It's Personal! We serve you using a straightforward, proven approach focused on three over-arching principals: guidance, choices, and comprehensive services. For more information, call Denise Elmquist at 763-746-7870 or visit www.HanrattyAssoc.com.

About Memorial Blood Centers

Memorial Blood Centers has been helping to save lives for over 60 years as an independent nonprofit supplying life-saving blood to area hospitals and other partners throughout the U.S. Operating 11 donor centers and conducting hundreds of blood drives each month, Memorial Blood Centers also provides comprehensive testing and expert technical services as a national leader in transfusion medicine. For more information, call 888-GIVE-BLD or visit MBC.org.

SOURCE Memorial Blood Centers