The Troy and Area Lions Club, together with Knights of Columbus, sponsors quarterly blood drives for the Red Cross at the Westfield Community Center. Our normal collection is between 25 and 30 pints, a very good result for our small community.

Our last drive on March 11 had 37 donors registered — a record number for Westfield! But Mother Nature sent us a snowstorm and consequently we had a record number of cancellations and no-shows instead. So, we only got 16 units of blood, which was a disappointment but still potentially 16 lives saved, so a success nonetheless.

We are very fortunate to have so much support from our community— our loyal blood donors, wonderful Lions volunteers, top-notch Red Cross staff, Knights of Columbus volunteers who take care of the banner and the posters, and local businesses who provide us with a door prize for our raffle every time. 

And now, with the critical shortage in the blood supply nationwide, we are getting ready to step up our efforts to help even more. As of this June, we are planning to increase our blood drives in Westfield to every 2 months. An informal poll of our dedicated donors received a resounding positive response to this change. 

Lion Sue Scott, our blood drive chairperson, happily donates while Lion Louis Handy (2nd photo, on the right) makes sure that no one goes home hungry or thirsty, offering a donor some refreshment.