Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church welcomed community members on Nov. 12 during a successful American Red Cross blood drive. It was a joint effort by the Red Cross and Knights of Columbus Council 4304. Knight Patrick Rupinski helped coordinate the day. He said the five-hour endeavor resulted in 43 blood product donations, including 37 donors of whole blood and three Power Red donors whose donations count double. There were no deferred donors, which means all who came to donate were able to do so.

Donors received special Red Cross socks celebrating the 20th anniversary of the holiday film Elf and a hot breakfast for themselves and their families. The breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, biscuits, and gravy was cooked and served by the Knights. According to the Red Cross, the need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds and most people will need blood in their lifetime.