Burbank, CA - The Bob Hope Airport business community – including the Airport, Burbank Airport Marriott, Yahoo!, airlines, and companies within the Media Studios North campus are teaming up for a huge blood drive to benefit patients in hospitals throughout the San Fernando & Santa Clarita Valleys – including Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills and Providence Tarzana Medical Center. The blood drive will be held on Wednesday, July 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bob Hope Airport's Terminal A - Skyroom, 2627 Hollywood Way.

This is the fourth year the Airport’s annual blood drive has included businesses throughout the Airport District, and the event has consistently drawn a large turnout at a time of year when blood donations are below normal.

Participants will have great views of the airplanes taking off from and landing on the runway as they donate blood in the Bob Hope Airport’s Skyroom. All those who donate or attempt to donate will also be entered into drawings for roundtrip airline tickets and hotel stays, courtesy of JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and the Burbank Airport Marriott. Other prizes in the drawing include a three-day weekend car rental from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, two $200 auto details from VSP Burbank Airport Parking, and gift baskets from The Paradies Shops at the Airport. Employees from Yahoo!, Technicolor and many other businesses in the airport business community will be shuttled throughout the day between the Media Studios North Campus located on Ontario Street and Bob Hope Airport.

Southern California experiences blood shortages every year during the summer months as fewer people donate blood during these months due to vacations and summer recess at schools. The Providence Blood Donor Center works in collaboration with local businesses and community groups to gather blood products to meet the transfusion needs of patients throughout Southern California.

Studies show that one person in the United States needs blood every two seconds. While only 5 percent of eligible donors in the United States donate their blood, this figure is even lower in Southern California where only 3 percent of eligible donors donate blood.