Saturday afternoon’s pedestrian traffic at 2700 Whiskey Road was friendly and slow-moving, as Mercy Church played host to a blood drive in honor of Ashton Rickard, 13, who was severely injured in a shooting June 7 in Aiken and had blood transfusions as a part of her emergency treatment.
Several members of Rickard’s extended family were on the scene Saturday at the Rickards’ home church welcoming a tide of more than 200 people in the church’s family life center — donors, well-wishers and Shepeard Community Blood Center employees. The final donation count was reportedly more than 130, spread among whole blood, platelet and “power red” donations.
“It was just amazing how the community came together in Ashton’s honor, and even Ashton’s parents were there, Tony and Ashley, greeting everyone who came in,” said donor Debbie Williams.
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