LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Versiti Blood Heart of Michigan hosted its thirteenth annual Spirit of America Blood Drive on Thursday. The drive was held in honor of the heroes and lives misplaced on and within the aftermath of 9/11 — and in addition to handle the native want for blood donations.
“It’s what they do, you know, they’re giving their lives to protect everybody else,” mentioned longtime donor Chris Huttenlocker. “That’s what this is going for, to help. Somebody’s blood could save somebody’s life. That’s what it’s all about”.
The blood drive. (WLNS)
Huttenlocker was working at an workplace in Jackson on 9/11 and says now it’s his responsibility to assist save another person’s life.
“I was working at my job and became very emotional about that and ever since then, I’ve helped raise money for the survivors and the families of New York firefighters and first responders and been donating blood since,” Huttenlocker mentioned.
The blood drive. (WLNS)
Director of Donor Providers Daybreak Kaiser says blood donations are a excessive precedence in Michigan. The occasion has a objective of greater than 200 donations, a quantity she says has began to say no.
“Our blood donations at this drive have unfortunately been dipping and we want to boost those donations back up to the level where we need,” Kaiser mentioned. “We need to collect over 500. units of blood every day in Michigan just to support over 55% of the hospitals in Michigan.”
The blood drive. (WLNS)
For Hillsdale native Steven Cook dinner, that is his first time donating on 9/11, and factors to togetherness and neighborhood as his motivation to roll up his sleeves.
“As just a working person, sometimes you don’t feel like you’re doing enough. But this is a way of giving back and helping out humanity,” Cook dinner mentioned.
The occasion ran till 6:30 p.m., providing all donors a 9/11 memorial t-shirt after donation in addition to free refreshments on web site.
