As soon as the doors opened at Unaka High School Thursday morning, the excitement from Emma Grindstaff couldn’t be contained.
It was an important day for Grindstaff. A month after her daughter and granddaughter, Dana and Sara Keeling, passed away in a fire on Pine Ridge Circle, Grindstaff was able to see her family members be remembered in a positive way with a memorial blood drive sponsored by the American Red Cross.
“I’m so excited,” Grindstaff said, smiling from ear to ear. “The community is wonderful. The amount of people that are coming out is amazing. People didn’t even know the girls but we have people here that want to give back in their honor and use this as a way to give back to possibly save someone’s life. I just don’t know what to say, I’m so excited.”
Grindstaff worked with Thomas Hensley, with the Red Cross, and school officials to help put the drive in place.
“We started the drive at 10 o’clock and immediately, right before we opened the doors, we had people coming,” Hensley said. “One of the things I noticed right from the beginning, and made me feel good, was there were people here that didn’t really know the family too well but they were coming out to support a member of the community. They either read about it in the paper, saw a sign and just decided to come. During the first hour, we had around 10 people. Most of those people, we didn’t even know they were coming. We appreciate the help from Betsy Oliver, the principal, and the maintenance men that were here in the morning to open the school.”
Grindstaff seconded the sentiments of Hensley, thanking everyone involved with the event.
“The Red Cross has been wonderful,” she said. “Thomas has been great. Betsy Oliver just automatically said we could use the school when we started to plan the drive. There haven’t been any problems. The phlebotomists here have been fantastic.”
Grindstaff, joined by her daughter, Brandy Vines, said the goal of a blood drive was the perfect way to remember Dana — who helped organize drives and was working toward becoming a phlebotomist. The joy of helping others runs in the family, she added with a grin. Dana and Sara were both organ donors and Vines also works as a nurse.
And the joy spread through the donors.
Megan Keesee, who also works as a nurse, was on hand to donate and noted the importance of these drives, adding she had been a donor since she was 18 years old.
Brenda Vicars added Thursday was her first time donating in a while but said “it’s very important (to donate) … it’s such a little thing that can mean so much to someone else.”
The goal of giving back was a perfect way to honor Dana and Sara, according to Ramona Hopcroft, who was a neighbor of Dana.
“I’ve never given blood before,” Hopcroft said. “But I was so excited to do something in remembrance of Dana and Sara. It’s just awesome to see a community come together like this to give back to Sara and Dana.”
Grindstaff and Hensley reiterated that the support from the community was incredible, and a person couldn’t expect nothing else in Stoney Creek, according to donor Ralph Buckles, adding he’s donated since he was 20 years old.
“Stoney Creek’s the best place to live anyways,” he added with a smile.