Blood drive thanks community for support

Editor, The Recorder,

I would like to thank all blood donors, volunteers, church groups, The Highland Center, The Recorder and radio station WVLS for their support of the past blood drives.

The Highland Masonic Lodge No. 110 will continue sponsoring the blood drives with the Virginia Blood Services as the collection agency whose main office is in Richmond. The Virginia Blood Services is a nonprofit organization and all the blood collected is used only in Virginia hospitals.

The lodge will no longer use the American Red Cross as its collection agency. The blood drives will operate the same way as the past drives.

The next blood drive will be at The Highland Center on Thursday, Feb. 21. Let us show the new collection agency how we support the blood drives by collecting more units of blood than ever. Remember each unit of blood can save three lives.

Austin L. Shepherd

Blood drive coordinator Highland Masonic Lodge

Monterey, Va.