'Flying for Life' Blood Drive takes flight
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A friendly competition that's sure to save lives is looking to reach new heights this spring.
The Flying for Life Blood Drive took flight Monday at KELO-TV, with the first of six days' worth of collection events.
Dry, hot and windy weather impacting trees
'This friendly competition between Avera Careflight and Sanford AirMed began several years ago during COVID when we really didn't know where we were going to go with the ability to collect blood as we prepare for the summer months,' Community Blood Bank Executive Director Ken Versteeg said.
Versteeg says the competition is also an opportunity to honor our high-flying first responders.
'I can't even describe the amount of stress that they go through every single day when they come to a site and they have an emergency that they have to address. These are the first people that see an individual and determine if they need a blood transfusion or not,' Versteeg said.
There are six units of O-negative blood, also known as the universal donor and rarest of blood types, on every flight.
'Everybody that asks me my blood type, it's like 'O-negative' and they say 'oh, you're one of the lucky ones' (laughs),' Brandon resident Kathy Van Santen said.
Van Santen is part of the 7% of the population with O-negative blood, but encourages everyone — whatever your blood type — to give.
'Because it's actually a needed thing in the communities, so yeah, if you're able, willing and able to do that, just give it a try, it's not that bad,' Van Santen said.
And the timing of Flying for Life is no mistake. Community Blood Bank requires 550 units of blood every week to meet the needs of its local hospitals, and finding donors during the summer can prove difficult.
'This is the time of year where people forget about donating blood because their lives are so busy with the graduation ceremonies and then the vacations and then they might have family activities outside, but take the time to donate a unit of blood,' Versteeg said.
It could save a life.
The Flying for Life Blood Drive continues at 7 on Tuesday morning at GreatLIFE at Avera McKennan Fitness Center in Sioux Falls.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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