Why Your Blood Donation Matters

Ava’s story is the heart behind our annual blood drive. During her battle with cancer, Ava received lifesaving blood products that gave her more time with family and friends. Those transfusions meant more songs sung, more hugs given, and more memories made.

Even while enduring her own treatments, Ava thought about others. She wanted to find a way to give back to the community that had supported her. Her last wish was simple but powerful: to help ensure that other children and families fighting for more tomorrows would have access to the same lifesaving gift she received.

Ava passed away just two days before her 12th birthday, and just before the very first Ava’s Blood Drive. Since then, her wish has lived on through this event. Each year, friends, family, and community members gather to roll up their sleeves and donate blood in her honor.

This year marks the 9th Ava’s Blood Drive. Every unit of blood collected is a chance to extend someone’s life, just like others once did for Ava. It’s more than a donation; it’s a tribute to her courage, her compassion, and her desire to leave the world better than she found it.

We invite you to join us in carrying out Ava’s legacy. Your donation could be the gift that allows another child to celebrate their next birthday or another family to share one more holiday together.

Ava believed in giving back. With each donation, we help fulfill her wish, spread hope, and continue her story.

Join us Saturday, September 20^th from 8 am to Noon – Bondurant Christian Church

Sign up here: https://donor.lifeservebloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/189599

 

Date                      Units Collected              First-Time Donors

9/2017                                  166                                         55

9/2018                                  100                                         20

9/2019                                  85                                           12

8/2020                                  54                                           8

8/2021                                  47                                           9

8/2022                                  46                                           8

8/2023                                  45                                           7

9/2024                                  44                                           6

Totals                                   587                                         125               

• 587 units of blood collected

• 1,761 lives impacted

• 125 first-time donors introduced to giving

Thank You

This impact would not have been possible without the generosity of past donors, the support of LifeServe Blood Center, and our host locations over the years:

• BrickStreet Market & Café (2017)

• Bondurant Federated Church (2018–2024)

• Bondurant Christian Church (2025)

Join Us This Year

Be part of Ava’s legacy by donating at this year’s drive:

📅 Saturday, September 20th
🕗 8:00 AM – Noon
📍 Bondurant Christian Church

➡️ Sign up here

Follow along for updates here:  https://livingavasway.com/events-updates/

and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15CdvTLPM7w/