Need a Hug Blood Drive Returns October 17 at Hutchins Red Barn from 8am until 2pm
From Eddie VanStine,
On August 31, 2023, 39-year-old Nathan Wilson passed away following a splenic artery aneurysm. During his hospitalization, Nathan underwent six surgeries and received 26 units of blood products.
Those donations gave Nathan and his family eight more days together — eight days to say “I love you,” make memories and simply be together.
Nathan was intubated and unable to speak, but he could write. On a small dry-erase board, he wrote four words:
“need a hug?”
That board remains with his family today.
The Wilson family will never know the people who donated the blood that gave them those eight days. But they know what those strangers gave them: time.
Now, they are paying that gift forward.
The fourth annual Need a Hug Red Cross Blood Drive will be held Saturday, October 17, at the Hutchins Red Barn, 8336 Pleasant Valley Road, Hammondsport.
Nathan was born and raised in Corning and loved Keuka Lake, Little League baseball, the Buffalo Bills, Syracuse and, most of all, people. This event is a way to keep that spirit alive.
The first three Need a Hug blood drives collected 235 units, with the potential to help as many as 705 people. More than $15,000 has also been raised through the event, with donations staying within the Red Cross Blood Services Division in Western New York.
The need remains great. The United States has approximately 340 million people, but only about 38% — roughly 129 million — are eligible to donate blood. Of those eligible, only about 3.9 million actually donate.
If you can donate, please consider making an appointment. If you cannot, there are still plenty of ways to help.
The event will feature a donation-based bake sale, raffle items including a handmade quilt, Airbnb stays, a Buffalo Bills basket, a golf package and more.
Blood Drive:
Saturday, October 17
Hutchins Red Barn
8336 Pleasant Valley Road
Hammondsport, NY
Monetary donations can be made through Venmo at @Nathan-Wilson-0831 or by check payable to the American Red Cross, with “Blood Services Division” in the memo.
Most importantly, come by. Say hello. Give a hug. Remember Nathan.
Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is time.
need a hug?
The Wilson family thanks everyone for helping pay forward the gift of time.
