Manchester Road Race Blood Drive Tops 360 Pints In 2022

MANCHESTER, CT — The Manchester Road Race staged another successful blood drive on Black Friday, the day after the Thanksgiving race attracted 9,641 registered runners and featured a new course record by men's champion Conner Mantz and an exciting title defense by women’s winner Weini Kelati.

Road Race officials said that 364 pints of blood, which will benefit an estimated 1,092 people in need of blood, plasma, and platelets, were collected Friday at the Ray Crothers Memorial Blood Drive. In 2021, 335 pints of blood were donated at the MRR event.

"We were delighted by the turnout and we are so grateful to our wonderful donors, volunteers and sponsors," said Lance Morgan, a local physician's assistant and member of the MRR's Executive Committee who headed the blood drive. "There is a critical shortage of blood in Connecticut right now, and the generous response of the people who rolled up their sleeves to donate will definitely save lives."

The blood drive, which the race committee co-sponsored with the American Red Cross of Connecticut, was held at Manchester High School. All donors received Manchester Road Race tee shirts.

The blood drive began in 1986 and is considered one of Connecticut's largest single-day blood collection efforts. It has been staged in Manchester annually since then on the day following the road race. In 2008, organizers named the event in memory of Ray Crothers, a beloved former MRR champion from Tolland, who died of cancer that year.

Morgan noted that the 364 units of blood that were donated Friday brought the total number of pints collected by the MRR since 1986 to 7,886.

Financial sponsorship for the 2022 Ray Crothers Memorial Blood Drive was provided by ECHN, Eastern Connecticut Pathology Group and Highland Park Market.