Holy Redeemer By The Sea Catholic Church will host an American Red Cross community blood drive Wednesday, October 10 from noon until 6 p.m.

This drive is unique in that fire departments from Stumpy Point to Duck and OBX Professional Firefighters local 3286 are supporting it. These drives have been incredibly successful in the past.

“We will have firefights from Stumpy Point, Manns Harbor, Roanoke Island, Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Colington, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores and Duck,” said Mike Kopnski, a church member sand one of the blood drive organizers.

Kopnski went on to say that the Red Cross had called to say the amount of blood collected in past Kitty Hawk blood drives have ranked Holy Redeemer in the top three percent in the nation.

Taking it a step further, Leo Holland, another church member, added that the Red Cross has divisionalized the nation for blood contributions and Holy Redeemer is number two in its division.

“What makes this drive important,” Kopnski added, “is that the Red Cross is down 46,000 units because most of the other eastern North Carolina drives have been canceled by the hurricane.”

According to the Red Cross, providing blood helps ensure that there is blood already on the shelves when a need arises. From kids with cancer to accident survivors waiting for critical surgeries, patients depend on lifesaving blood products, so they can heal and thrive.

As a thank you, all donors participating in this drive will automatically be entered to win one of five $500 gift cards redeemable at hundreds of merchants. Winners will be selected and notified by email on or around November 20.

Holy Redeemer By The Sea Catholic Church is located at 301 West Kitty Hawk Road in Kitty Hawk. For more information regarding the blood drive, contact Val Cummins at the Holy Redeemer Office, 252-261-4700.