BLOOD RECIPIENT PEDALS CROSS-COUNTRY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT NEED FOR BLOOD
After biking 3,847 miles from California to New Hampshire, Larry Frederick stops by Blood Bank of Delmarva on drive back home
NEWARK, DE - Blood recipient Larry Frederick and his daughter, Adella, are stopping by Blood Bank of Delmarva on Tuesday, August 3 after completing a 52-day, 3,847 mile bike trip from California to New Hampshire. Their stop at the Blood Bank will be part of the second phase of their journey, a 7,772 mile, cross-country drive home down the east coast and across the southwest. The goal of this biking campaign, called "Life Across America," is to raise awareness for and promote blood donation.
Larry is a former Oakland police officer who had a near-death accident while on duty. During a traffic stop, he was struck by a car going 65mph and needed 110 pints of blood to survive. Though this accident forced him to retire from the career that he loved, Larry refused to let personal tragedy keep him down.
"As I started my recovery, I started riding a bicycle. At first, I just went down my street and thought 'oh good, I made it that far.' Pretty soon, I went around the block, and then it was two blocks, and I found out that the more I rode, the better I felt," said Larry. "As I began to feel stronger, I wanted to give back to the cause that saved my life. 'Life Across America' has given me that opportunity."
During their return trip across the country, Larry and Adella will be working with blood banks in more than 40 cities by speaking, volunteering, or hosting blood drives. The "Life Across America" journey began in California on June 6 and will end in California on September 14.
Visiting Blood Bank of Delmarva on Tuesday, August 3
10:00am - 11:30am: Terumo Medical Corporation Blood Drive
Larry and Adella will visit with donors at the blood drive at Terumo Medical Corporation (950 Elkton Boulevard) in Elkton, Maryland.
12:00pm - 1:00pm: Ceremony and Reception at Blood Bank's Christiana Center
There will be a brief recognition ceremony and reception for Larry and Adella at the Blood Bank's Christiana Center (100 Hygeia Drive) in Newark, Delaware. They will be greeting donors and sharing their story.
This is not the first time Larry traveled across the country on two wheels. In 1996, Larry and his son held the first "Life Across America" campaign and biked 4,266 miles across the U.S. They ended the ride at the White House's Oval Office in Washington D.C.
For current photos from their cross-country biking trip, click HERE.
