“It’s a competition that saves lives,” said Cpl. BeeBee Harris, with the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department.
Boots & Badges is a chance to vote for the one of three Fairfield County emergency responder departments – Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Fire & Rescue or Law Enforcement. To vote, one needs to donate blood. The event will be held on Saturday, May 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the First Church of the Nazarene.
“Memorial Day weekend is coming up,” Harris said, “and between road crashes and boating accidents…Red Cross needs blood every year.”
This is the second year for the blood drive competition.
“The Sherriff’s office walked away with it last year,” Harris bragged, “and now someone will have to try and take the title away from us.”
Harris heads up the event because she said she has seen the benefits firsthand.
”I have a sister with Hoskins disease, and I’ve watched the impact on kids in the cancer center…the blood is necessary to save their lives,” Harris said.
“We really need some help from the community for this,” Harris said. “We have a whole lot of time slots left to fill. This is about saving people’s lives. It could be you, your neighbor or a loved one.”
Prospective donors can sign up online to make an appointment. Just login to the redcrossblood.org site and click on Fairfield County. By preregistering, donors can go right in with no wait. Donors must be at least 17 years old and well to donate.
“I’ve spoken with several individual donors who received cards from Red Cross telling them about the people whose lives their blood saved. It just feels good to donate blood knowing that you’ve helped someone whose very life depended on it,” Harris said.
The First Nazarene Church of Winnsboro is located at 650 Ninth Street in Winnsboro.
For more information call Cpl. Harris at 803-635-4141.