Lori Karst and Roxie Berra
Lori Karst (Madison Fire) & Roxie Berra (Red Cross)

COVID-19 might have put a twist in the annual “Never Forget” blood drive, but it didn’t deter Madison Fire and Madison Police from collecting a record amount of donations!

On Friday, September 11, 124 people donated 139 pints of blood at Fire Station 14 – a new high total for the annual drive!

With three lives saved with each pint, these donations will go on to help as many as 417 people.

This was the ninth annual “Never Forget” blood drive, hosted in remembrance of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

“The whole reason this drive began was to honor those who died doing good on that fateful day in 2001,” said event organizer Lori Karst, an apparatus engineer at Station 14. “It's very rewarding that so many have chosen this day to do just that, by donating their blood for others who cannot.”

In total, 766 units of blood have been collected over the nine-year history of the drive.

There is always a need for blood donations, no matter the time of year. Visit the American Red Cross website to find a local blood drive or to schedule an appointment at one of the Donation Centers in Madison.

This content is free for use with credit to the City of Madison - Fire and a link back to the original post.

Category: General, Station 14