(Pocopson, Pennsylvania) April 2008 - Affiliate groups of the Atheist Alliance International (AAI) will be organizing blood drives the first week in May to commemorate the annual National Day of Reason, held on the first Thursday of May each year.

The mission and purpose of the National Day of Reason is to inspire the secular community to be visible and actively involved in community projects. Atheists make a point of showing how only human endeavors can help improve the lives of fellow citizens, not only on the National Day of Reason but each and every day. Atheists' actions echo the 19th Century Great Agnostic, Robert Ingersoll, in his famous quote, "Hands that help are better than lips that pray."

AAI affiliate groups across the country will be hosting blood drives in their local communities. In 2007 alone, hundreds of gallons of blood raised through the AAI blood drives provided needed resources to local blood banks.

AAI and its affiliate members call on local, state and national government officials to recognize these community efforts. Many citizens and members of AAI will be presenting formal National Day of Reason proclamation requests at local and state levels. To see a sample of a National Day of Reason proclamation, go to:

http://www.NationalDayOfReason.org/ndrproc.html

The National Day of Reason is also supported by the American Humanist Association, Americans for Religious Liberty, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, The Institute for Humanist Studies, People for the American Way and the Secular Student Alliance.

More information about the National Day of Reason and the related blood drive can be found at:

http://www.PositiveAtheism.org/crt/blood.htm

For more information contact:
Margaret Downey
Atheist Alliance International President
P. O. Box 242, Pocopson, Pennsylvania 19366
Phone: (610) 793-2737 • Fax: (610) 793-2569 • Email:

ATHEIST ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL
The Democratic Alliance of Autonomous Atheistic Societies
Website: www.atheistalliance.org

Atheist Alliance International (AAI), founded in 1991, is an umbrella organization for local, autonomous, religion-free groups as well as individual members.

It has 54 member societies in the United States and 10 in other countries. AAI is the only fully democratic atheist organization in the United States.

Its purposes are to help establish and strengthen the religion-free community at the grassroots level and to achieve visibility and acceptance for atheists as respected contributors to discussions of public policy.