Prior Lake, Minnesota - A blood drive held by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community resulted in enough blood to benefit 210 people. The "special request" holiday blood drive was held at the request of Memorial Blood Center. Each of the 77 units collected at the drive at Dakotah! Sport and Fitness on December 12, 2006, can be divided into, plasma, red blood cells, and platelets, thus saving up to three lives. Twenty first time donors participated in the event, and there were fifteen walk-ins.

"We are delighted at the response we get each time we hold a blood drive, but especially now at Christmas, when the need is so critical," said SMSC Health Director Melanie Dunlap.

Since during the holiday season folks are busy shopping, baking, attending school and church functions, and visiting relatives, sometimes the urgent need for blood is overlooked. But the 77 SMSC donors were willing to give time out of their busy holiday season to help save lives by giving blood. Donors were members of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, tribal government and enterprise staff, South Metro Federal Credit Union staff, Gaming Enterprise Team Members, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness members, and the general public.

Because life is so precious to us all, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, as an active participant in the local community, holds several blood drives each year to help save lives. The SMSC has sponsored blood drives for more than a decade.

More than 90% of Americans will require a blood transfusion for themselves or an immediate family member sometime in their life. Since blood is perishable and cannot be synthetically created, new donations are needed daily. All blood types are needed throughout the year, especially those which are less common.

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