Pints for Patriots Blood Drive Held in Remembrance of the 10th Anniversary of September 11th

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, United Way and AmeriCorps are partnering with The Blood Connection to rally the community for a weeklong blood drive across the Upstate.

“Pints for Patriots,” set for Tuesday, Sept. 6, through Saturday, Sept. 10, draws on the sense of unity and spirit of community service experienced across the country following the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, bringing people back together 10 years later to help our neighbors in need.

Donors can visit any Blood Connection location in Greenville, Greenwood, Easley and Seneca Sept. 6-9, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. For location details, visit www.thebloodconnection.org.

The blood drive will culminate with “Pints for Patriots Day” on Saturday, Sept. 10, at Greenville High School. United Way AmeriCorps members and The Blood Connection will be on site from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

“Visiting Manhattan and ground zero this week brought back the memory of thousands of Upstate blood donors lining up for four days around the donor center and just wanting to make a positive difference,” said Greg Hart, CEO and president of The Blood Connection. “The ‘gifts of life’ provided those days are truly amazing to me and somehow offset at least some of the evil we witnessed that day. We are thankful for those gifts and the continued support of area blood donors in the years hence.”

The “Pints for Patriots” blood drive was developed as a service project by AmeriCorps members serving with United Ways in Greenville and Pickens counties. Each year, AmeriCorps members across the nation conduct service projects in remembrance of 9/11.

This year, 27 AmeriCorps members are serving locally in support of United Way’s financial stability initiatives, including the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, The Benefits Bank and the Greenville Dreams neighborhood development program.