By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
People often discover blood drives as they come across the event, noticing the flyers and signing up for a donation.
Teri Benfer, an American Red Cross account manager, said most donors don't think past the needle and snack to how that blood impacts people after it leaves the drive.
Many cancer patients receive critical blood transfusions during treatment, moving some patient family members to begin donating.
"Sometimes it takes a personal story that you're really connected to," Benfer said. "Kevin's family and friends came out and donated some of them for the first time at the first one we held in his memory."
The Red Cross will host its second Kevin Moyer Memorial Blood Drive from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Gypsum United Methodist Church.
Benfer said Moyer's wife, Ashley Moyer, approached her after Kevin Moyer passed after battling cancer for several years, but in high school, he was a regular blood donor during school drives.
"Because Kevin was a young man, people his age have been moved to come out and donate," Benfer said. "That's something we're missing right now because a lot of our regular donors are aging."
The Kevin Moyer Memorial Blood Drive has only two open spots left, but to find out more information on the drive and other availabilities, visit www.redcrossblood.org.