All American Blood Drive making an impact over holiday weekend

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The All American Blood Drive is dedicated to boosting the blood supply before a busy holiday weekend.

“The annual All American Blood Drive event. We do this every single year with Dakota News Now and it’s a way for us to generate more donations of blood to help us throughout the Labor Day weekend,” said Kenneth Versteeg with the Community Blood Bank. “So we have three full days without any blood being drawn at our hospitals. And the only way for us to actually keep up with that demand that could happen during accidents, during traumas, and things like that is for us to host this special blood drive event.”

Those donating felt grateful to have the ability to do so knowing thirty minutes of their lives could save someone else.

“Well, it’s needed and I do have not the universal blood, but I do have a popular blood that’s needed and it’s the banks so I just kind of feel sort of an obligation to help when I can, and it’s a pretty easy process, so why not go and get a free juice box?” said donor Katie McGuire.

An event like this provides more to the hospitals and those in need than many realize.

“Every one of those components will go to help somebody in our community,” Versteeg explained. “And it’s an amazing thing because these are volunteers coming out, not knowing who they’re saving, but rest assured they’re saving lives here in our community, and potentially over the weekend.”

The hosts know and appreciate the importance.

“It’s actually beyond words exciting for us, and it means so much to our hospitals to think about,” expressed Versteeg. “Without that foundation, that blood foundation where we can treat emergency cases. If we don’t have that blood available. We can’t treat these emergency cases properly. Some people will come through and they need blood just to sustain life. And that means so much to us, and it’s very important to our community, and then the patients that are the patients that come through the hospital as well.”

Giving blood is something that you can do year-round, and this small act can make a big impact.

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