There will again be a blood drive this year as part of the NLSC. The drive will be sponsored by the Kansas City Community Blood Center and held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Bartle Hall, Room 2105 on Friday, June 26. A donor must weigh no less than 110 lbs and must be at least 17 years of age (or a donor can be 16 years of age with written parental permission). If you would like to make an appointment ahead of time, visit http://www.safealifenow.org and enter the sponsor code: skillsusa and then select your appointment time. At last year’s blood drive, 38 people participated and the center collected 35 units of blood. There were 32 first-time donors.

SkillsUSA will be holding the second annual twilight 5K Champions Run on June 24 in Kansas City during national conference. Managed by the Kansas City Track Club, the run takes place on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 7 p.m. at Liberty Memorial Park, across from Union Station and the Westin Hotel. (Runners can then proceed right across the street to the Champions Festival, but they should be sure to take a change of clothes. The conference t-shirt is required for admission to the festival.) 

Registration is $15 per person and includes a t-shirt and a medallion for the first 300 finishers. Runners, joggers, walkers or groups are all welcome. No headphones, strollers, animals, skates or skateboards will be allowed on the racecourse. We encourage school groups or instructors to run with their students. State officer teams or other state groups are encouraged, and we can invoice for state groups. Send registration forms to: Karen Perrino, SkillsUSA 5K Race, 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg, VA 20176. For questions, contact Karen at kperrino@skillsusa.org or 703-737-0610. Space is limited so register early! To download a race form, go to: www.skillsusa.org/supporters/alumni5k.shtml. 

Despite trying economic times, the shortage of skilled workers is more acute than ever, and we are seeking help to influence young people and their parents by encouraging your advisor’s students to post videos of their own real-world experiences with SkillsUSA on SkillsUSA’s Facebook site. We would like to gather testimonial videos from students and parents alike in an effort to use peer-to-peer marketing to make a real difference in the lives of young people across the country. 

Ask them to interview one another about how they became involved in the SkillsUSA program, what they’re learning through career and technical education programs, and how they’re preparing themselves for the world of work. Encourage them to interview their parents, as well. Ask them to post their videos through SkillsUSA’s online networks at SkillsUSA’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Leesburg-VA/SkillsUSA/22208255590.