{"id":51176,"date":"2014-05-02T12:53:23","date_gmt":"2014-05-02T19:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theavtimes.com\/?p=51176"},"modified":"2014-05-04T20:44:07","modified_gmt":"2014-05-05T03:44:07","slug":"reminder-motorcycle-awareness-blood-drive-this-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2014\/05\/02\/reminder-motorcycle-awareness-blood-drive-this-saturday\/","title":{"rendered":"REMINDER: Motorcycle Awareness Blood Drive this Saturday"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Local<\/a>
Local bikers will roll up their sleeves and give blood this Saturday. (Contributed photos feature bikers who participated in last year’s effort and the AVH Blood Donor Center staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LANCASTER \u2013 The third annual Motorcycle Awareness Blood Drive kicks off this Saturday, May 3, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the Antelope Valley Hospital Blood Donor Center<\/strong>, located at 44105 15th Street West in Lancaster.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat next accident may be your own loved one, friend or neighbor; it’s all about paying it forward,\u201d said organizer Robin Merrick, when asked why residents should support the event by donating blood.<\/p>\n

Merrick realized the importance of blood donation when her son, Zac Lutz, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in 2012. (Read more here<\/em><\/a>). Zac was put in a medically induced coma while doctors conducted multiple surgeries, and he required blood after each surgery.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The cause was inspired by Zac Lutz, who was badly injured in a 2012 motorcycle crash and required blood after each surgery. Zac pulled through and eventually made it down the aisle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Zac\u2019s family and friends organized an impromptu blood drive, which delivered more than 103 units of blood donations. The group has been holding a yearly blood drive ever since, which also promotes the importance of motorcycle awareness in the Antelope Valley.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe learned through our own process that all the blood donated at the AVH Blood Donor Center stays at the AV Hospital,\u201d Merrick said.<\/p>\n

The third annual Motorcycle Awareness Blood Drive will feature a party in the AVH Blood Donor Center parking lot, with festivities to include:<\/p>\n