Dover Motor Speedway and the Blood Bank of Delmarva will host the 21st annual 9/11 Memorial Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11, in observation of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The annual event has brought donors to the Monster Mile since 2006, providing an opportunity to honor the lives lost Sept. 11 through an act that directly helps patients in need across the region. Following their donation, registered participants will have the opportunity to drive their personal vehicles on Dover Motor Speedway’s high-banked, 1-mile concrete oval.

The connection between blood donation and Sept. 11 dates back to the immediate aftermath of the attacks, when communities across the country responded by rolling up their sleeves. In the week immediately following 9/11, more than 2,800 people came forward to donate blood through Blood Bank of Delmarva – an extraordinary outpouring of service that was nearly twice the number of donations received in a typical week today.

The need for blood remains constant throughout the year. According to America’s Blood Centers, 62 percent of the U.S. population – approximately 204.9 million people – is eligible to donate blood, but only 3 percent of Americans donate each year. Blood donations support cancer and surgery patients, accident and trauma victims, newborn babies and their mothers, transplant recipients, patients with sickle cell disease and many others.

Preregistration is highly encouraged, but walk-ins will be taken as space allows. Donors can call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8 or visit the Blood Bank of Delmarva website, delmarvablood.org, to schedule an appointment. Donors should only attend if they are feeling healthy and fever-free.

A blood donation typically takes about one hour, and a single donation can help save multiple lives.

Guests should use the speedway’s Leipsic Road entrance near the Monster Monument, not the Bally’s Dover entrance off Route 13. The suggested GPS address is 99 Plaza Drive, Dover, DE.

Before entering the track, guests will be asked to sign a speedway-issued waiver to drive their vehicle on the Monster Mile racing surface and a Blood Bank-issued waiver for photography.

Guests will donate blood in the Dover Motor Speedway media center. Following their donation, participants will have the opportunity to take their personal vehicles around the Monster Mile before exiting the speedway property.

Eligible donors are encouraged to make an appointment for Sept. 11, and join Dover Motor Speedway and Blood Bank of Delmarva to remember those lost 25 years ago while helping provide lifesaving blood for patients who need it today.