Moree Blood Bank Committee member Helen Mitchell said the Australian Red Cross Blood Service collection in the region could not happen without the hard work and help of community volunteers and Red Cross staff.

Mrs Mitchell said tourism information packs would be handed out to visiting Red Cross nurses and staff, helping to promote the Moree Plains Shire.

“This is a great way to promote the area, from a grass-roots level,” Mrs Mitchell said.

She said information packs had been handed out to the staff at the previous blood drive in May, and had been a big hit.

Tourism Moree tourism officer Tian Harris said the information packs for the visitors contained basically everything they needed to know about the region.

“They are a good pack, we do a lot of them up,” Ms Harris said.

Mrs Mitchell said she thought the October blood drive would be as big a success as the inaugural collection in May, and she was counting on overwhelming community support.

“Maybe harvest (season) and school holidays might affect things a bit,” she said.

The Australian Red Cross will be collecting blood this Friday, from 11am to 6pm, and Saturday, from 9am to 4pm.

People who have not made an appointment are still encouraged to come and donate on the day.