Local4 You Blood Drive helps fill a need nationwide

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - The seventh annual Local4 You Blood Drive is in the books.

The Nebraska Community Blood Bank reports that around 41,000 units of blood are used each day. Local4 partnered with the American Red Cross to help fill the need for blood.

Jeremy Aupperlee helped organize the drive in Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney. Aupperlee, works with the Red Cross, but he’s also a donor. His donations are inspired by his father getting blood transfusions and Aupperlee wanted to give back, but he said the need is still great.

“Every two seconds someone in the United States requires a blood transfusion,” Aupperlee said. “The Red Cross has to collect over 13,000 units every single day just to meet the need. Out of 100 people only three people will donate regularly.”

One of those regulars is Kassandra Sikes, who said she started donating at the prompting of a health care professional.

“I have a good friend that consistently donates and she’s a nurse, and I would talk with her and she just motivated me to understand that there is such a great need for blood donations, and I realized I had that ability and the time to do that to help other people,” Sikes said.

Anyone who donated during the the blood drive can track where their donations goes with the Red Cross Blood Donation App.

Local4 is working on getting final donation numbers from the drive. Stay connected to Local4 for those final numbers.

Copyright 2023 KSNB. All rights reserved.