&8220;If you haven&8217;t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.&8221;

&8212; Bob Hope

Never has there been a better opportunity to prove if you truly bleed orange and blue or crimson and white than Friday, Nov. 9.

That&8217;s the day of the 24th annual Alabama vs. Auburn blood drive with each camp vying for much more than bragging rights. Their goal will be to save lives by donating blood.

Blood supplies in and around Shelby County are at critical levels and with the holiday season upon us, a time when blood donations tend to decrease, there has never been a more important time than now to roll-up your sleeve and make a difference.

If the notion of saving a life is not motivation enough, maybe winning two tickets to this year&8217;s Iron Bowl is.

That&8217;s right, perhaps the most sought after college football ticket of the year will be given to a lucky donor thanks to the generosity of the folks at BE&K.;

Cel Etheredge and countless other Red Cross volunteers organize this drive each fall and have been doing so since Cel and her sister dreamed-up the idea in the early 1980&8217;s.

Most people who have lived in Shelby County know Cel; her status as one of the finest people you could ever know gives her a well-deserved and much recognized good name.

But perhaps if you have not had the chance to meet one of the kindest, most warm people in Alabama, the Alabama vs. Auburn blood drive gives you the perfect opportunity to do so.

Those lucky enough to be greeted by Cel after making a donation will no doubt receive the warmest of &8220;thank yous&8221; and the sincerest of smiles.

Don&8217;t miss this opportunity to give the gift of life and to possibly win a pair of very sought after tickets.

But even if you do not win the tickets, you are guaranteed to leave a winner.

Just ask Cel.

Details:

Cel Etheredge&8217;s 24th Annual Alabama-Auburn blood drive

Friday Nov. 9, 2007

7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Holiday Inn on Highway 119

To donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good overall health and have not donated in the last 56 days [eight weeks]