Officials from the Manchester Road Race Committee are hoping to see a new record set this November—on the day after the iconic Thanksgiving Day run through Manchester’s streets.
The committee will sponsor the 40th Ray Crothers Blood Drive in conjunction with the American Red Cross of Connecticut on Friday, November 27, and organizers are aiming to collect 400 pints of blood, which would be a new record for the event.
The blood drive will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on November 27th at the Manchester High School gymnasium. Manchester High School is located at 134 East Middle Turnpike in Manchester.
Walk-in donors are welcome, but appointments are encouraged. Donors may sign up by calling 1-800-733-2767 or on-line at the Red Cross website. A direct link to the registration site is also available on the Road Race website. Everyone who donates a pint of blood will receive a road race tee shirt. The event will also feature entertainment, refreshments and a raffle.
Race officials began sponsoring the blood drive on the day after Thanksgiving in 1986, and it has been held annually since then. The event is held in memory of Ray Crothers of Tolland, who won the road race in 1965 and competed in it 43 times prior to his death in 2008.
A star distance runner at Central Connecticut State University, Crothers won the race’s high school, masters and open divisions and had eight top-ten finishes at Manchester’s Turkey Day race. Race officials named the blood drive in honor of Crothers after his passing in 2008.
Generous donors contributed a record 385 pints of blood at last November’s blood drive. Since the road race blood drive began in 1986, more than 9000 units of blood have been collected.
“This is the 40th anniversary of the road race blood drive drive and we are hoping to celebrate it by setting another record and collecting 400 pints of blood, or more, this year,” said Lance Morgan, a physician assistant and Manchester Road Race Committee executive board member who is overseeing the event. “There is a critical shortage of blood in our region and we are urging everyone who possibly can to donate.”
Sponsors of the Ray Crothers Blood drive are Hartford HealthCare and Eastern Connecticut Pathology Consultants. Additional support is being offered by Highland Park Market and Fox 61.
The 90th annual Manchester Road Race presented by Hartford HealthCare will be held on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2026 at 10 a.m. On-line registration, and more details about the race and the Ray Crothers Blood Drive are available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.
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For further information, please contact Dr. Tris Carta at 860-646-2251
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