USA Collision Centers will hold its “Bleed, Bark and Wash for a Cure” event at its Fairfield location (5449 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, Ohio) Saturday, April 6 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event will allow visitors the opportunity to donate blood, adopt pets and get their cars washed on-site.
The non-profit organizations that will benefit from this event include The Hoxworth Blood Center, The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA – Cincinnati) and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. USA Collision Centers will also provide food and drink for all who attend.
“It will really be a fun atmosphere and a great way to kick off this spring,” said Joe Sanfillipo III, COO. “We wanted a way to do something fun for the community and give back to some of our favorite organizations all at the same time. Our popular Fairfield location, which sits directly across the street from Jungle Jims, seemed like the logical choice. With the amount of traffic on Route 4 and the amount of people who travel to Jungle Jims on any given Saturday, we feel confident that this will be a great day for all of the non-profits involved."
This is the first year that USA Collision Centers is hosting what it hopes to be an annual event.
Sanfillipo says he came up with this idea while brainstorming fundraising ideas with friend Erica Steinbeck, who is running for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Woman of the Year” designation for the Cincinnati chapter.
“I wanted to lend a hand to Erica and her quest for ‘Woman of the Year,’ but I didn’t want to stop there. I wanted to help out some of our other favorite non-profits as well," he said.
Sanfillipo has been actively involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society since 2003 when his late wife, Annmarie, was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). On July 9, 2009, at the age of 32, she lost her six-year battle with leukemia. Throughout the years, Annmarie underwent two transplants at the Cleveland Clinic and was closely involved with the Cincinnati chapter of LLS.
“Although we have been very active with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for a number of years now, Annmarie’s passing inspired all of us to work harder to do all that we can to raise funds to help find cures for blood cancers and encourage all who can to donate blood and platelets," said Sanfillipo.
Annmarie also shared a love for animals, and that passion is what led Sanfillipo to his involvement with the SPCA Cincinnati. He was appointed to the organization’s board of trustees in 2011.
More information:
To register to donate blood, click here.
