Red Cross Blood Donor and Volunteer Featured on mtvU’s "CAUSE EFFECT"

Red Cross volunteer Krysta Leigh Meinzer is featured in “Cause Effect,” a new multi-platform series from mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, profiling standout student activists on college campuses nationwide. Krysta details her passion for blood donations in an episode of the show, which is broadcast on mtvU and available on demand at mtvU.com and Think.MTV.com.

Meinzer is a 21-year-old college senior from North Carolina, majoring in communications at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C. Krysta learned first hand about blood donation when she was a child. Her mother and father donated their own blood while her grandfather was undergoing chemotherapy as treatment for leukemia, and Krysta saw how beneficial it was in helping him have a greater chance at a longer, healthier life than he would have experienced otherwise. She currently holds the title of Miss Hendersonville, N.C. 2007, and has set the American Red Cross and blood donation as her platform.

“I am honored to be a part of the American Red Cross because it’s an organization filled with friendly, dedicated people who are committed to making a difference in the world,” said Meinzer. “When I became Miss Hendersonville, one of my goals was to recruit more blood donors, but I never imagined I would have the opportunity to reach a national audience through mtvU.”

mtvU teamed up with Microsoft Corporation through the Windows Live Messenger i’m Initiative for “Cause Effect.” Each episode spotlights two remarkable students, examining how they’re using digital tools to effect positive, real world change, and inspiring others to take action and make a difference on pressing social issues.

When she was 17, Krysta began donating blood herself, and started volunteering with the local Red Cross Blood Services region a few years later. Beyond attending blood drives, Meinzer also travels to area schools, teaching students of all ages how blood works throughout the body, and the importance of regular blood donations for patients suffering from traumas and many diseases.

The new mtvU series is an extension of the Windows Live Messenger i’m Initiative, in which Microsoft donates a portion of the program’s advertising revenue to one of several cause-related organizations each time a user has a conversation using the instant messaging software. The Red Cross is one of ten organizations receiving donations through this initiative, and is guaranteed by Microsoft to receive at least $100,000. Individuals can sign-up to support the American Red Cross through the i’m Initiative by visiting http://im.live.com.

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The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.