Teen blood donor and Fountain Hills resident, Deven Meyers, has been announced the winner of a 2019 Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition in Vitalant’s “Summer Drive to Save Lives” raffle.

Winning the car, though, was a bit of a process. First, her name was drawn from among the 384 teen donors who pledged online with Vitalant and donated during their summer break from school blood drives – one of the ten categories for garnering a finalist spot in the grand prize ceremony that was held last week. She was also one of the 53,016 donors who gave blood May 24 and Sept. 6, who were automatically entered to win during the summer campaign to increase blood donations.

The 10 finalists gathered Wednesday, Oct. 9, for the grand prize ceremony at Vitalant’s national headquarters in Scottsdale. Meyers was the proud winner of the 2019 Passat that was donated by the seven Valley Volkswagen dealers to encourage summer blood donations.

In a “Deal or No Deal” game show format, the 10 finalists each claimed a case with a key in it. The key that started the car was the winner and, for Meyers, case #4 turned out to be the lucky number.

Even sitting in the car, it took Meyers a moment to realize she had won.

“I didn’t think I was going to win, so I didn’t hear the engine running,” she said. “Thank you a million times over, Vitalant and Volkswagen.”

Meyers has already donated twice since she graduated from Fountain Hills High School last spring.

“Helping people has always been my thing,” Meyers said when she was named a finalist, adding that, in addition to being a blood donor, she started her pre-med studies at ASU in August. Upon graduation, she plans to become an officer and surgeon in the United States Air Force.

Guests at the awards ceremony got a special treat when the grand prize ceremony flag was dropped by 3-year-old Adelyn, of Phoenix, who has required more than 55 blood transfusions. Her dad, Matt Troutman, told the audience that Adelyn was born with Diamond Blackfan Anemia, a rare disorder that prevents her body from producing red blood cells. Every three to four weeks, she relies on the generosity of blood donors to keep her alive – a need that is expected to continue the rest of her life.

“Adelyn has taught us the importance of donating blood,” said her mother, Kami. “We are forever thankful to each and every blood donor.”

Sid Lewis, senior director of donor recruitment for Vitalant’s Southwest Division, said the company was proud to partner with Valley Volkswagen dealers and Volkswagen of America to encourage Arizona residents to get out and donate.

“Vitalant was honored to have the opportunity to partner with Valley Volkswagen dealers in a three-month campaign that encouraged so many donors to give blood, especially during the summer,” Lewis said. “It was so rewarding to see Deven win the Volkswagen, especially since teens donate more blood than any other age group, providing one out of every six blood donations in Arizona.”