Lionsgate Film and the American Red Cross announced last week that they will be holding a blood drive. The Fourth Annual Saw "Give Til It Hurts" will coincide with the opening of the latest Saw movie on October 26, 2007.
The announcement came from Lionsgate Co-Presidents of Theatrical Marketing Tim Palen and Sarah Greenberg and Gregory S. Ballish, Senior Vice President, Biomedical Services, American Red Cross. Working with Lionsgate Entertainment provides the American Red Cross an opportunity to expand its support of blood donation," said Ballish. "On behalf of the patients we serve, we thank Lionsgate and the Saw franchise for their commitment to our blood program and look forward to a successful campaign. We are honored that the American Red Cross has chosen to partner with Lionsgate on a national level to manage this year's blood drive," said Palen and Greenberg. "For the past three years, we have seen how eager young people are to support the Red Cross and its life-saving mission, and the Saw IV blood drive will give them more opportunities than ever."
The Saw blood drive began in 2004, and has become a known event among the Saw moviegoers community. Donations have reached nearly 38,000 pints of blood in that time, and has no doubt saved many lives. The drive will begin about 2 months before the premiere and will continue through the first week of the film's release. Blood drive will be held on college campuses and other locations throughout the country.
Tobin Bell, who plays the character Jigsaw, will also be doing some Public Service Announcements to advertise the event. "We are very proud of the continued growth and success of the Saw blood drives and would like to thank Lionsgate for their boundless creativity and the incredibly loyal Saw fans who bleed for us, literally", says producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules of Twisted Pictures.