Dear editor,

Firefighters won the Battle of the Badges by a very narrow margin!
We want to thank everyone who participated in the American Red Cross blood drive “Battle of the Badges” Monday, July 16. There were 122 donors who came in to share their life-giving blood. We were short by 12 pints so we almost made our goal. Those that gave can feel proud we did our civic duty and helped to ensure lifesaving blood is available for patients in hospitals throughout our area. We thank all of you for your time and effort and for your donations of blood. We hope you will continue to donate at future blood drives as well.
A special thank you to the EMS personal, firefighters and law enforcement officers who gave time to the community. They give a sense of security to residents, and they often give blood too. As local heroes to many, their courage in the face of adversity bolsters people in need.
I hope you will all look forward to saving more lives at our next drive Monday, Sept. 17. If you would like to help, please call 1-800-Give-Life. The American Red Cross would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to you and your community for continuously supporting the Red Cross blood program. Your support is a wonderful example of how to give back to your community and help patients in need.
People commonly underestimate the need for blood and the difference that even one donation can make to ensure blood is available when and where it’s needed.
Thank you to our generous sponsors who donated gifts for our Civil Servant gift bag. They were Wal-Mart, Great Bend Coffee and Maria’s. Several items from the Red Cross were also added. Gary Davis had the most write-in votes and he won the gift bag put together by the American Red Cross.
As a blood donor or volunteer, each of you has helped the Red Cross fulfill its mission of a safe and ample blood supply. Hospital patients rely on us and we delivered! I want to thank each of you for being a part of this lifesaving experience. Especially St. Rose Parish for use of their facilities and the wonderful volunteers at RSVP; we couldn’t do this drive without you! Also Dairy Queen for the great ice cream and En-Rev for the fresh bottled water they always provide. Also, a big thank you to Daryl Hertel for the setup before the drive and the cleanup after. We appreciate this.
We look forward to saving more lives at our next drive Monday, Sept. 17th. Please keep in mind our blood donations are now collected at St. Rose Parish. If you would like to help in any way, please call 1-800-Give-Life.

Corry Herrman
Blood Drive Chair