Local blood donors saved as many as 228 lives by giving blood during Baldwin EMC’s Spring Into Action drive on March 19 in Summerdale. The staff from LifeSouth Community Blood Center collected a total of 76 pints of blood, each of which can benefit as many as three people.

Mark Ingram, Baldwin EMC’s vice president of corporate services and public relations, says the donations from the Spring Into Action event were received with extra appreciation this time around.

“Due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to make a few adjustments this year,” Ingram says, adding that the blood drive was hosted in the LifeSouth bloodmobiles instead of the cooperative’s Training Center, the event’s traditional location. “While there is always a need for blood donations, right now that need is critical. We tried to get that message across to the community while, at the same time, understand and respect that people are trying to adhere to the current CDC guidelines and stay home as much as possible.”

The ultimate response from the Baldwin County community, however, was nothing short of surprising, Ingram says.

“Every time we host this event, we are overcome by the generosity and outpouring of support from the people in this community. We didn’t quite know what to expect in terms of turnout when we opened the event at 8 a.m. But then, just as they always do, the folks showed up.”

Ingram says the Spring Into Action drive is a part of Baldwin EMC’s vision to be community involved. “As a member-owned cooperative, we’re called to do much more for our community than just provide electricity. Right now, more than ever, we are all doing what we can to help our neighbors. Whether it’s picking up groceries for someone, sharing goods from our pantries, or, in this case, maybe even saving a life.”