The Superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol wants to thank you for donating blood, as part of the Patrol’s 20th Annual Corporal Michael E. Webster Memorial Blood Drive last week.
Colonel Ron Replogle says this year’s blood drive was expanded from Troop A to include the entire state.
It is hoped the blood drive will save lives and raise awareness about the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol.
The Patrol recognizes those who donated or volunteered during the blood drive at the following locations:
Troop A: 45 units collected
Troop B: 17 units collected
Troop C: 22 units collected
Troop D: 28 units collected
Troop E: 35 units collected
Troop F/GHQ: 52 units collected
Troop G: 23 units collected
Troop H: 27 units collected
Troop I: 21 units collected
Total = 270 pints of blood
Because each pint (unit) can help save up to three lives, nearly 810 lives could be saved thanks to the donors.
Cpl. Michael E. Webster was killed on October 2, 1993, by a drunk driver while standing next to a vehicle he had stopped for a traffic violation. The Patrol hosted this statewide blood drive to emphasize the seriousness associated with alcohol-related traffic crashes. Blood is an essential element, which may help to save someone’s life after they have been involved in a traffic crash.
Someone is killed or injured in an alcohol-related crash every two hours in Missouri. Alcohol was involved in 28% of all fatal crashes during 2012. Drunk drivers killed 229 people and injured 3,869 in Missouri traffic crashes last year.
The colonel also thanked the MSHP’s partners (American Red Cross, Be The Match, Community Blood Center of Kansas City, and local law enforcement agencies, fire departments, community colleges, etc.) throughout the state for holding blood drives in memory of Cpl. Webster. If you would like to donate blood in Cpl. Webster’s memory, visit www.MEWEBSTER.org to find a location near you. Be sure to let the volunteers know that you are donating in Cpl. Webster’s name at the time you give blood.