Carol Henley, of North Bend won a $1,500 gift card from Lowe’s Home Centers from a random drawing of donors to the American Red Cross. She is shown at the College Park Community Church where she accepted her prize. World Photo by Lou Sennick

For all the years, Carol Henley, of North Bend, was donating blood to the American Red Cross, she said it was a “simple thing anyone can do” to help other people. Little did she know when she donated a few weeks ago, the next day she was called by the American Red Cross and told she was the winner of a $1,500 gift card from Lowe’s Home Centers. Throughout the summer, the Red Cross and Lowe’s sponsored a promotion for blood donations in Oregon and Washington. Eight other blood donors received $25 gift cards from Lowe’s, but Henley won the big prize. On Sept. 4, Red Cross staff from Roseburg was at the College Park Community Church for a blood drive and they also awarded Henley the gift card and a bouquet of flowers to thank her for her donation.