Eligible donors can choose their day to help save lives during "100 days of summer. 100 days of hope." campaign

(May 20, 2015) – The American Red Cross urges donors to choose their day to give hope to patients in need by donating blood or platelets during the "100 days of summer. 100 days of hope." campaign, officially sponsored by Suburban Propane.

"Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and vacation season, and the start of a seasonal decline in blood and platelet donations," said Ben Corey, external communications manager, Heart of America Blood Services Region. "By choosing a day to give blood or platelets, volunteer donors can give hope and help maintain a sufficient supply for patients in need."

To encourage donations around the Memorial Day holiday, those who come to give blood or platelets from May 23-25 will receive a Red Cross RuMe tote bag, while supplies last.

Summer vacations and travel can contribute to less availability for people to give blood or platelets. In a spring survey of Red Cross blood and platelet donors, nearly 90 percent indicated plans to take vacations this summer. However, patients don't get a summer holiday or vacation from needing lifesaving blood. The Red Cross relies on volunteer donors for the 15,000 blood donations needed every day to support patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide.

As official sponsor of the summer campaign, which begins Memorial Day weekend and runs through Labor Day weekend, Suburban Propane will support an advertising public awareness campaign about the constant need for blood and platelet donations, and encourage employees and customers to give. Additionally, Suburban Propane employees will volunteer at Red Cross blood drives and facilities nationwide in one of the largest national volunteer commitments to the Red Cross Blood Services from a corporate partner.

"The Suburban Propane family is proud to support the mission of the Red Cross and help ensure that blood and platelets are available for patients in need during the challenging summer months," said Suburban Propane's Chief Operating Officer Mark Wienberg. "By partnering with the Red Cross, we are able to continue a noble cause that improves the lives of those in our communities."

The Red Cross has touched the lives of many Suburban Propane employees including Debbie Traub. In May 2014, her 74-year-old father fell from a ladder while power washing his home and suffered life-threatening injuries. He spent 20 days in the intensive care unit and received many blood transfusions. Traub said that she now knows the importance of giving blood and makes a point to donate in honor of her father at the Suburban Propane headquarter blood drives. Her story is just one of many reasons Suburban Propane continues to advocate for blood and platelet donations to the Red Cross.

"Suburban Propane is the steadfast conduit to mobilize its employees, customers and community leaders nationally to support the Red Cross and the blood needs of communities we serve across the United States," added Donna M. Morrissey, director of national partnerships for the Red Cross Biomedical Services. "Through the unwavering commitment of Suburban Propane, the lifesaving blood and platelet donations made to the Red Cross may help families stay together, patients recover and people survive."

How to donate blood

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

About Suburban Propane

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE:SPH) is a nationwide distributor of propane, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity. Headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey, Suburban serves the energy needs of more than 1.2 million residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers through more than 710 locations in 41 states.

"This agreement does not meet the needs of Iowans facing mental health challenges.

"While the press release announcing this agreement stated that the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department of Human Services will seek to identify private providers to replace the services being lost, there is no guarantee providers will be found. No detailed plan has been presented to the public to ensure the continuation of services.

"Outsourcing the services provided by these facilities is not needed because the existing workers are experienced and providing high quality mental health services. There is no valid reason for the governor to outsource these facilities unless his emphasis is on cutting costs by severely limiting services."

"The Iowa Senate has already advanced and voted on a proposal to keep these facilities open, which matches the wishes of Iowans according to a recent poll. That poll found 68% of Iowans oppose closing these facilities. These facilities should remain open so that they can continue to provide much needed mental health services to Iowans. The Iowa Senate plan is better for Iowans."

Can Parents Use Video Games As Lessons In Life?
Engineer, Parent & Former School Teacher Crafts Novel Method For Teachable Moments

In the history of child development, the widespread participation in the use of video games is not only a relatively new phenomenon, but a widespread one, too.

Ninety-seven percent of children and adolescents in the United States play at least one hour per day, according to the American Psychological Association.

Naturally, many parents and educators worry that this game time is subtracting from healthy skills children should be developing, such as reading.

"As children grow into teenagers and then young adults, finding your favorite novel as a young person, for example, can have immeasurable benefits by answering questions like: Who am I? What do I value? How do I move forward in life?" says Mark Cheverton (markcheverton.com), a former public school teacher of 15 years, an engineer with GE and a father who was inspired to write novels for his son and other children to help teach life lessons.

"Of course, books - whether print or digital versions - are the best sources for in-depth knowledge about anything, from gardening to history to science and more. Establishing reading as a habit is necessary for the well-being of the world."

Cheverton offers tips for parents who want to encourage healthy habits to their children, including reading and more.

•  Find books that reflect video game themes. "Invasion of the Overworld: Book One in the Gameknight999 Series: An Unofficial Minecrafter's Adventure," a book by Cheverton, is an effective example. What better way to get a kid to read a book than to offer one that's about the video games they are obsessed with? In this case, it's about the popular game Minecraft.

•  Parent participation can create additional teachable moments for issues like bullying. "I've come to love playing Minecraft with my son, who spent months building things on his server: castles, bridges, underwater cities, factories, everything and anything his imagination could conceive," Cheverton says. "Video games can have its benefits, too, creating opportunities to communicate with your child on those teachable moments we may dread, like when my son was bullied, but other habits ought to balance a child's life as well."

•  Computer gaming can have positive benefits with family relationships. It turns out that there has been plenty of research out there on the benefits of parents playing computer games with their kids - not by computer game makers, but by respected universities. Researchers from Arizona State University suggest that "Parents miss a huge opportunity when they walk away from playing video games with their kids." From Brigham Young University, researchers studied 287 families and looked at how they play video games together. The BYU team found that girls from ages 11 to 16, who played video games with a parent, reported better behavior, more feelings of family closeness and less aggression than girls who played alone or with friends. In addition, there is a great TED talk that discusses game playing and the positive effectives - both for family closeness and health.

•  Games like Minecraft may offer an interest in engineering, city planning, etc. Many children who take to games that entail building cities may naturally take an interest later in life in the details of building things in the real world. Of course, children who love video games may want to know how the games themselves work or are of a high quality, which can lead to further interest in technology. Whether it's a future career in video games, computer programming, engineering or a very long list of high-paying jobs, gaming can lead to good things.

About Mark Cheverton

Mark Cheverton (markcheverton.com) majored in physics and math as an undergraduate in college and went on to teach in public schools for 15 years. While teaching he earned a master's degree in physics. He later went on to work for GE's Global Research Center, where he researched laser welding , 3D printing, machine vision, process monitoring and machine control. He began writing his Minecraft series to help explain difficult lessons to his son, now 11. Those lessons include taking risks, a willingness to try something difficult and how to be brave. The books also address the sensitive topic of bullying.