It's Not Just 1,000 Pints of Blood

1,000 is more than just a number for Hope Church.

Come January, Hope Church will have impacted at least 3,000 people through its blood drives. 

"Each pint can save up to three lives and it takes about an hour to do," said Barbie Atkins, one of the organizers of Hope Church blood drives. "It doesn’t take very long and you can save up to three lives. That's pretty amazing."

Atkins, along with three other members of Hope Church, first started organizing blood drives in 2005. The church works with the American Red Cross and hosts three blood drives per year — one in January, June and September. 

"For this upcoming blood drive we will reach the 1,000 milestone," Atkins said. 

The other three organizers — Dave and Sandy Pauly and June Rogers — either have ties to the Red Cross or the medical field, which is why Atkins teamed up with the group to start the blood drives. 

So what is the equivalent of 1,000 pints of blood? Precisely 125 gallons, which is the size of a large acquarium that can hold up to 1,400 pounds of water. 

An average of 60 people usually attend the blood drives. It's open to community members, but most of the donors are from the church, Atkins said.

Hope Church will continue to hold blood drives, inching their way toward higher milestones.

"We have always taken it one step at a time. We're just thankful for every successful one," Atkins said. 

For more information about the blood drives visit Hope Church's website here.

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