The blood drive in honor of Gracie Andrews, 8, who has leukemia, took place last week in Brewster.
BREWSTER When Tim Andrews started the process of setting up a blood drive, he first set a goal of getting 50 people to donate blood.
With the help of his coworker Amanda Finley, the blood drive began to grow with more than 100 people signing up.
The blood drive in honor of 8-year-old Gracie Andrews, a second-grader at East Canton Elementary School, was held June 7 at the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway where Andrews works. The family lives in Osnaburg Township.
Gracie was diagnosed with leukemia last November and she and her family wanted to do something to combat blood shortages for people fighting illnesses.
Many friends and relatives of the Andrews family wanted to find a way to help. Gracie has met many children with different forms of cancer during her treatments.
On the day of the drive, 138 were able to attend and a total of 130 pints of blood was collected for the American Red Cross, Tim Andrews said. He added that more than $1,200 was donated to the Red Cross during the drive.
"We were appreciative of everybody," Andrews said. "This being our first drive, we kind of weren't sure what to expect. Overall it was way more than I expected or anticipated."
Gracie and her family donned purple shirts with #GraciePride printed across the front. The color purple represents awareness for all types of cancers.
Before the blood drive, Andrews said, Gracie was not feeling well and wasn't sure she would be able to attend the drive. Gracie battled back, though and spent nearly four hours at the event where she visited with children of other workers and attendees.
Gracie enjoyed ice cream from Just Ice Cream and a Bit More, who provided a discount on tasty treats to those who donated.
"She was the happiest I had seen her in a while," Andrews said. "She was having a great time, and she's in good spirits. Kids are resilient. If it were me, I would be laying on the couch moping."
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