Jan. 17, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks will spend the Martin Luther King Day holiday in the community, helping the American Red Cross. Staley, her staff and players will spend their morning at WIS-TV supporting the station’s telethon to raise funds for the International Response Fund of the American Red Cross.

The telethon will be in two segments, 5-7 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Anyone donating $1,000 or more during the telethon will receive a Dawn Staley autographed basketball. Those contributing $5,000 or more will receive two tickets to the Gamecocks’ game against Tennessee on Sun., Jan. 31.

Following the second segment of the telethon, the Gamecocks and their coaches will travel to the American Red Cross Chapter office, located at 2751 Bull Street. There they will thank those who are donating blood and/or money to the International Response Fund and sign autographs 1-3 p.m.

The American Red Cross encourages people to donate all types of blood year around, but currently has a need for O-negative and B-negative because they are at emergency levels in our community.