MEDICAL NEWS

Blood donors receive

Big Red gifts

Give back to the community in a special way this summer. Local blood centers are in need of donations and you can help save lives by donating blood. All donors will receive special summer coolers, backpacks, towels and cups during July as a way of saying "thank you" for giving.

Florida's Blood Centers is offering branch donors a Big Red Cooler just in time for a beach trip or weekend getaway. Donors on the Big Red Bus will receive a Little Red Pack backpack. Ask about how you can receive a special Big Red Towel by donating to specific patients.

Check out donor eligibility questions on the Web site at www.floridasbloodcenters.org

Every blood type is currently needed. Cancer patients are in daily need of treatment, burn victims use plasma, trauma victims need red blood transfusions and patients having routine surgeries depend on the gift of a volunteer donor. Donors can be as young as 16 and there is no upper age limit.

Young athlete speed and

conditioning clinics set

This summer the Wellness Center of Cape Coral is offering young athletes ages 13 and older an opportunity to enhance their athletic performance in a safe, motivating and positive atmosphere. Under the guidance of Jarvis Jolly, a certified exercise specialist and certified personal trainer, participants perform drills and exercise using the latest developments in speed and agility training to meet the needs of any sport.

The Wellness Center, located at 609 SE 13th Court, is adjacent to Cape Coral Hospital and is part of the Lee Memorial Health System. Jolly has been running the summer group clinics at the center for the last three years.

"This is basically an entry-level college speed and agility program. It is work," said Jolly. "The kids find out what they have inside themselves, both physically and mentally. Once they start playing again they find out their hard work really helps. It makes them better".

The focus of the clinics is to develop skills necessary to be an overall better athlete, including: sprinting technique, acceleration training, eceleration training, lateral quickness, plyometric drills, stride length and footspeed, balance and flexibility.

For more information about the clinics, call Jolly at the Wellness Center of Cape Coral, (239) 573-4800.

First suicide prevention resource center set to open

C.A.R.E.S., Community Awareness in Recognizing & Educating on Suicide, will open the first suicide prevention resource center in Southwest Florida on July 10. This center will provide resources to those in need of finding assistance and those who have lost a loved one to suicide.

Special guests will include Cape Coral Chief of Police Rob Petrovich and State Rep. Gary Aubuchon. The grand opening will commence at 4:30 p.m., ribbon cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. with check presentation to follow by the REALTOR Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, Inc., as CARES was named the recipient of their 20th annual benefit golf tournament.

For more information, contact Virginia Cervasio at (239) 834-9240 or Tara Moser at (239) 540-1155.