Local media personalities attended and sponsored the Twin Cities Media Blood Drive at the Minneapolis Blood Donor Center on Monday to heighten awareness of the need for blood.

Teri Knight, Twin Cities traffic reporter, and Lori Grande, WLTE morning show co-host, chaired the event.

Knight said the media got involved last year because the flu epidemic that plagued the Twin Cities kept many people from donating, resulting in a high demand for blood.

“This is for the community,” Knight said. “The media have an opportunity to reach a lot of people.”

Wally Walztoni, manager of a local computer software company, said he donated blood because of a message he heard on KFAN, one of the stations sponsoring the drive. “I have donated before and decided to come on my lunch hour to participate,” he said.

Some of the media personalities at the blood drive were Ann Cole from the sports radio station KFAN, and Donna Valentine and Muss, from radio station K102.

This is the second year local media have participated in the drive; last year the event occured on Memorial Day weekend.

Clare Paradise, donor recruitment representative, said donors can contribute blood every 56 days. However, she added only 5 percent of eligible donors actually give blood.

To donate blood a person must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds.

Just one pint of blood can save three lives, Grande said. “The media is putting competition aside in order to save lives.”

More information is available at www.yourbloodcenter.org or by calling the Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

– Kelley Yurecko