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Small actions can mean a lot. By agreeing to give blood during a school blood drive last year, Troup County School System Superintendent Dr. Brian Shumate unintentionally spurred more blood drives for the American Red Cross, according to a TCSS press release. As a result, TCSS received an award for stepping up to host blood drives.

“It allowed five entities to come back on our blood drive circuit,” American Red Cross Executive Director Holly Winner said.

“It was great showing Dr. Shumate’s picture giving blood because it was a catalyst. It showed other businesses that if a school system could do it then so could they.”

Winner said that in a time when blood is so needed, it made a big difference for entities to return to a regular schedule of blood donations. According to American Red Cross Account Manager Johnny Williams, churches and community blood drives helped the organization through the pandemic.

“Going into last school year, everything that typically runs in Troup County, ran,” he said. “There were COVID precautions put into place, and blood drives were held. I’ve got 13 counties that I collect blood in and Troup County was the only county I was able to collect.”