The 2017 Media Day blood drive at East Hills Shopping Center in St. Joseph collected enough units of blood Wednesday to help hundreds of people.

According to Betty Tinker with the Community Blood Center, 229 blood donors were registered and 188 units of blood were collected. 

Twelve-year-old Will Walker worked to drum up support leading up to the blood drive. He said when he found out he had cancer in 2014 at the age of nine, blood donations helped save his life on more than one occasion. 

Tinker said what was collected Wednesday will be divided out into different projects to help up to approximately 549 people. 

“We’d just like to thank everybody that came out (Wednesday) and made this a wonderful day,” Tinker said. “I know Will was pushing for 200 units but I think he was pretty happy with 188 units.” 

Tinker said anyone who missed Wednesday’s blood drive can donate anytime at the Community Blood Center. 

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