Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM 14 UCW NOVEMBER 4-10, 2020 High School blood donors eligible to win car in local drawing a STAFF REPORT EVENTS COPD events raise awareness of lung disease by AMANDA CRABTREE One lucky student will be driving to school in a brand-new car, just for giving the gift of life. Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center and Powers Swain Chevrolet are teaming up to give away a Chev y Spark to promote blood donations among area high schoolers. The two-door hatchback's winner will be picked at random in a drawing next year. High school students who donate by May 15, 2021, are eligible to be entered in the drawing. Official rules are available at the Blood Donor Center. The winner must be enrolled in a public, private, virtual or homeschool high school in Cumberland, Bladen, Harnett or Hoke county. The prize drawing will be held May 17 at Powers Swain Chevrolet in Fayetteville. The Blood Donor Center is in continuous need of blood donations because its blood products help patients throughout southeastern North Carolina. Currently, the center needs all blood types. High school donations help the center maintain a safe, adequate blood supply during most years. Nearly half the blood Cape Fear Valley uses for patient transfusions during school months comes from high school student donations. Due to COVID-19, schools are not allowing blood drives, so students are encouraged to donate at the Blood Donor Center located at 3357 Village Drive in Fayetteville or at a bloodmobile drive in the community. Information about becoming a donor and a complete schedule of upcoming blood drives are available at w w w.savingliveslo- cally.org. Blood drives scheduled for the next week include: Panda Express Nov. 4, 12 to 4 p.m. 585 Cross Creek Mall 910-487-7932 Reserve at Carrington Place Nov. 5, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. 6511 Lexi Lane 910-864-6886 Plantation at Fayetteville Nov. 6, 2 to 5 p.m. 3050 Plantation Garden Blvd. 910-600-6116 St. Ann Catholic Church Nov. 7, 9:00 a.m. to noon 357 N. Cool Spring St. 910-483-3216 HWY 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries Nov. 8, 1 to 4 p.m. 380 Laurinburg Road, Raeford 910-875-1133 Rustic Burger Nov. 10, 2 to 6 p.m. 2653 Hope Mills Road 910-568-4471 Cape Fear Ortho and Sports Med Nov. 11, 1 to 4 p.m. 4140 Ferncreek Dr. Suite 801 910-484-2171 Last year, two Southeastern Health co-workers, Melanie McKee and Stephanie Smith, helped to organize an event designed to raise awareness and funds to assist COPD patients. Their involvement was in memory of their fathers who both experien- ced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a family of lung diseases that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The event will continue this year with some adjustments due to COVID-19. The "Every Breath Counts" COPD 5k Run will be held in a virtual format on Nov. 7. The fee to participate is $25, which includes a race T-shirt. Medals will be given to the top three overall win- ners for both male and female participants as well as in each age category. A Walk, Run, Fundraise Walk-a-thon will be held throughout the month of November. Participants will be entered into a raff le based on the number of miles they track and the dollars they raise for COPD. Winners will be recognized in multiple categories. To register for either initiative, visit https:// runsignup.com/everybreathcounts. The website also offers opportunities to purchase long-sleeve T-shirts, raff le tickets and to sign up for sponsors- hip opportunities. Visitors to the site may also make donations and raise funds to honor a loved one. All funds raised will expand education for COPD awareness through the Southeastern Health Foundation. Vicky McLamb, 57, of Lumberton, plans to walk in this year's COPD Awareness event. McLamb completed Southeastern Health's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program in November 2019 after being diagnosed with COPD and, later, pulmonary arterial hypertension, in 2018. She sought help for extreme shortness of bre- ath, to the point she thought she had pneumonia. After being referred to a pulmonologist, she began receiving care for her condition and was referred to an eight-month cardiopulmonary rehab program. After completing the program, McLamb went from using six liters of oxygen to only having oxy- gen on hand in the event of an emergency. "I have only used maybe three minutes of oxy- gen since I finished the rehab program and that was because my doctor recommended it for a trip to the mountains," said McLamb. "I only used it going up the steps at the hotel." Because her quality of life has improved so much since completing the program, McLamb shares her experience with anyone she encounters on oxygen, suggesting they ask their doctor about the program in the hopes that they can experience the success she has found. "They recommended I keep up with my exercise, so I continue to go to the fitness center three days a week," said McLamb. "When the fitness center closed due to COVID, I walked at home but have returned now that the fitness center has re- opened." McLamb has found a renewed energy she didn't have before her rehab program. "Now I can't sit still at work," said McLamb. "I just want to get up and walk. I always want to be doing something." Individuals interested in more information about cardiopulmonary rehab may ask their doc- tor or call 910-738-5403. For more information about the 5K race, call 910- 738-5433. For information about overall COPD ini- tiatives, call the Southeastern Health Foundation at 910-671-5583. A Chevy Spark similar to the one shown in this stock image will be given to a high school blood donor in a drawing to be held May 17, 2021. Nearly half the blood Cape Fear Valley uses for transfusions comes from high school blood donations, which are down because schools have been closed during the pandemic. AMANDA CRABTREE, MPA-HA, Southeastern Health. Comments? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Vicky McLamb found a renewed energy after com- pleting Southeastern Health's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program after a COPD diagnosis. (Photo courtesy Southeastern Health)