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Blood drive keeps Katie's memory alive

Katie DaSilva
By Courtney Llewellyn, Reminder Assistant Editor

WILBRAHAM Clara DaSilva knows how important it is to give.

So did her daughter, Katie, who died at the age of eight after struggling with liver cancer. Without donations of blood, Katie might not have been able to fight as long as she did.

On July 3, DaSilva and the Red Cross of Wilbraham will be hosting their fifth annual blood drive in Katie's memory at St. Cecilia's Parish on Main St.

"More accidents occur around holidays, like the Fourth of July," DaSilva said. "That's why we chose this time to hold the drive."

DaSilva started working with the Red Cross before Katie was born, and so she knows how important the need for donated blood is. "When Katie was sick, the need was brought to a different level," she said. "We were put on the other side of things. Instead of accepting donations, we needed them."

The Red Cross in Wilbraham holds blood drives once a month, and DaSilva believes that with the frequency of drives, more awareness is raised for the need of the life-saving fluid. In addition to raising awareness, those who donate once are more apt to give again.

"Giving blood is performing a good deed," DaSilva stated. "You're really helping others, and you may not realize it, but you may be saving a life. It's important to give back." She added that the residents of Wilbraham support a lot of good causes.

Janet Tierney, of the American Red Cross Blood Services in Springfield, said that their goal for this year's drive is to bring in over 100 donors. And if giving blood and saving a life aren't good enough reasons to attend, DaSilva will be serving "the most delicious food" to those who donate, according to Tierney.