Local blood donors saved as many as 225 lives by giving blood during Baldwin EMC’s Spring Into Action drive on March 15 in Orange Beach and April 26 in Bay Minette. The staff from LifeSouth Community Blood Center collected a total of 75 pints of blood, each of which can benefit as many as three people.

The co-op elected to divide the drive between two dates and their two district offices this year, in an effort to reach members from the southern and northern parts of their service territory.

“We traditionally host Spring Into Action at our headquarters in Summerdale, which is our most centrally located office,” says Mark Ingram, Baldwin EMC’s vice president of corporate services and public relations. “However, Summerdale is still a bit of a drive from Bay Minette or the beach. Hosting it at our district offices gave our members and residents in those areas an opportunity to donate without distance being a factor.”

In addition to blood donations, non-perishable food was also collected for local distribution.

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. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for those we serve, and events like this are one of the ways we can do that.”