TIMES UNION REPORTS – PIERCETON – Animal Welfare League, 1048 S. CR 325E, Pierceton, will hold its first blood drive Wednesday.
The blood drive will be held at the shelter with the American Red Cross from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., said Tonya Blanchard, executive director of Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County.
The goal is to get at least 63 people to give blood, she said. Blanchard said the Red Cross sets the goal of 63, but she said she wasn’t sure what the significance the number 63 had. She thinks the shelter has at least half of that number with staff members, board members and family members of board and staff members.
American Red Cross has put an emergency call for blood in Kosciusko County on its website, Blanchard said.
People can walk in to give blood, but Blanchard said the Red Cross prefers if people make an appointment ahead of time. To register, she said people can go through AWL’s website or go onto the American Red Cross website and search Kosciusko County when searching blood drives.
Blanchard said the drive has been planned for three months. She wants the shelter to be a staple in the community and the blood drive is one of the ways she’s hoping to do that.
She also said she wants the shelter to help out. She has gotten a lot of comments saying the blood drive is a good idea and that really struck a chord with her. With all the negativity with the COVID-19 pandemic, Blanchard said she’s hoping to bring some positivity into the community.
At the drive, people will be in an area where they can pet and play with cats while they recover from giving blood, she said.
