Thunder Partner with American Red Cross for Disaster Relief

Pass the Bucket to Help Raise $22K on January 22nd

Wichita, KS (Jan. 11th) - The Wichita Thunder, proud member of the ECHL and powered by Toyota, is excited to announce a partnership with the American Red Cross to help support Disaster Relief efforts on Friday, January 22nd, presented by Waste Connections of Kansas, along with a blood drive on Saturday, January 23rd.

Volunteers from Wichita's Waste Connections location will be collecting donations for the Red Cross during the Thunder game on Friday, January 22nd when the Allen Americans come to town. Those attending the game are encouraged to drop a donation in the buckets being passed through the INTRUST Bank Arena in support of Red Cross services in Kansas, including disaster response and preparedness, immediate response to victims of house fires and severe weather, lifesaving training, crisis communication services for military families, and personal health and safety training.

The Wichita Thunder Blood Drive will take place on Saturday, January 23rd from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at INTRUST Bank Arena. The first 200 people who come out to donate will a get free ticket to the game that night against the Allen Americans.

"We are very excited to help facilitate this effort for the Red Cross. The Wichita Thunder strives to help the community raise awareness for different causes like this," said Jason Mals, Director of Communications for the Thunder. "With the recent devastation that has occurred in Missouri, and the ongoing need for blood, the Thunder are proud to be part of a great cause and trying to give back."

The Wichita Thunder blood drive comes at an important time. The Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donations to prevent a shortage. Donors of all blood types, especially those with types O, AB, B negative and A negative, are urged to make an appointment to donate.

"A decline in the blood supply after the winter holidays is not uncommon. It can be replenished when generous volunteers roll up their sleeves to help save lives," said Jan Hale, communications manager for the Red Cross Central Plains Blood Services Region. "We thank Waste Connections of Kansas and the Wichita Thunder for this very timely partnership."

How to donate bloodSimply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, from a home or work computer prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

About the American Red CrossThe American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

About Waste Connections, Inc.Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN) is an integrated solid waste services company that provides solid waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling services in mostly exclusive and secondary markets. Through its R360 Environmental Solutions subsidiary, the Company also is a leading provider of non-hazardous oilfield waste treatment, recovery, and disposal services in several of the most active natural resource producing areas in the United States, including the Permian, Bakken, and Eagle Ford Basins. Waste Connections serves more than two million residential, commercial, industrial and exploration and production customers from a network of operations across the United States.

The Thunder returns home on Tuesday night to host the Missouri Mavericks at 7:05 p.m.

Individual tickets for all games are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the INTRUST Arena Box office, by calling 855-755-SEAT or go online at www.selectaseat.com.

Follow along with us on our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter (@wichita_thunder), Snapchat (wichthunder), Instagram (Wichita_Thunder) and LinkedIn, presented by Wichita Brewing Company.

About the ECHL

The ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and one Canadian province for its 27th season in 2014-15. There have been 541 players who have started their career in the ECHL have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 29 who made their NHL debuts in the 2013-14 season. The ECHL had affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams in 2013-14, marking the 17th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

-Thunder-