Donate blood at BMC and get fit at Berkshire Nautilus

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PITTSFIELD - Berkshire Medical Center will conduct an October blood drive, with participants receiving a reward for their good deed from Berkshire Nautilus Fitness Center in Pittsfield. The BMC Blood Drive will be held on Monday, October 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Private Dining Rooms near the Cafeteria. Those who pre-register for the BMC blood drive will receive a free one-week membership at Berkshire Nautilus. For those who are already members of Berkshire Nautilus, participation in the BMC blood drive will result in two free weeks added to their membership. Pre-registration is required by calling the BMC Blood Donor Center at 447-2597. Interested donors may request a specific time from 10 to 3 to donate. Blood donors help anemic patients who require blood transfusions to increase their energy levels. They help people who have been involved in motor vehicle crashes and who have suffered blood loss to get the transfusions they need to replace lost red blood cells and plasma. They do all of this and more by giving just one pint of blood. For those unable to donate during the October 18th blood drive, Berkshire Medical Center's Blood Donor Center accepts public blood donations Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the American Red Cross accepts blood donations regularly. Call Julie Stone, Donor Center Coordinator in the BMC Blood Bank at 447-2597 to make an appointment to give blood at BMC or 442-1506 to give blood at the American Red Cross. There are many reasons to give blood. Just one pint of donated blood can be separated into several components and can help save many lives. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissues. Plasma, a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts, helps maintain blood pressure, carries blood cells, nutrients, enzymes and hormones, and supplies critical proteins for blood clotting and immunity. Plasma can also be frozen and used for up to one year. It's estimated that of the 270-million people living in the United States today that 150-million are eligible to give blood, and yet only about 8-million do so. That amounts to just over 5% of the population.
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Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
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