Twenty five years ago, at the height of the blood scare in the 80s, Fran Lowry, who had given much of her life back to the community needed emergency surgery related to the cancer she was fighting.

Unfortunately, her blood type was very rare and with the blood shortage, in order for her to be provided the blood necessary to have her surgery, she was told that she would need to get the equivalent number of pints of blood donated. That afternoon in January, phone calls were frantically made and by late evening, 98 people had turned up downtown to the Red Cross and donated in her name.

Although Fran Lowry did not survive, the blood that was donated was able to make a difference for others and for that reason, the blood drive has been held in her name every year since.