Win An Elvis-Inspired Trip, Guitar By Donating Blood In San Clemente

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — The American Red Cross will give a lucky blood donor the chance to live like Elvis Presley with a three-night trip to Memphis, Tennessee.

Anyone who donates blood, platelets or plasma during June will be automatically entered to win a three-night stay at The Guest House at Graceland, an Elvis-themed hotel next door to Presley's Memphis home.

"Not only did Elvis Presley leave an everlasting fingerprint on the world as the first global rock and roll icon, but as a blood donor, he also left a legacy of generosity and community service that continues to this day," the American Red Cross said on its website.

The American Red Cross will pick only one winner, who can bring a guest along on the trip. The trip will also include a VIP Elvis Entourage Tour of Graceland, Presley's home, along with two plane tickets to Memphis, a $500 voucher and a Gibson guitar.

The promotion is a celebration of World Blood Donor Day on Tuesday and the new Baz Luhrmann movie "Elvis," which comes out June 24.

The American Red Cross will soften the blow for donors who don't get so lucky. All donors in June will receive a $5 gift card to the merchant of their choice.

The Red Cross in January announced its first-ever national blood crisis, the worst shortage in over a decade, according to the organization. The organization provides 40 percent of the nation's blood supply and was forced to limit hospital distributions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Blood donations decline in late spring and early summer — especially during holiday weeks, like Memorial Day and Independence Day — but the need for blood and platelet transfusions doesn’t take a summer break," the Red Cross said in a news release. "Generous blood and platelet donors are critically important in ensuring lifesaving care is available the moment patients need it."

Ready for a chance to take an epic trip? Here is where to donate blood near San Clemente in June:

• Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club —25291 Vista Del Verde, Coto de Caza.
• Laguna Hills Blood Donation Center — 22971 Mill Creek Dr., Laguna Hills.
• Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church — 26001 Muirlands, Mission Viejo.
• St. John Episcopal Church — 30382 Via Con Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita.
• St Timothy Catholic Church — 29102 Crown Valley Pkwy., Laguna Niguel.
• Sonance — 991 Calle Amanecer, San Clemente.
• City of San Clemente — 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente.

Sign up for an appointment on the Red Cross website.