On the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, members of The Villages community have joined Florida’s Blood Centers to hold a blood drive. Besides paying tribute to those who perished on 9/11, the organizers hope to bring  awareness about blood donation, especially since one of their own, resident Roy Bishop, battles cancer. Roy has had 13 blood transfusions and will probably need additional blood products in the future.
 
The event will be hosted by Bob Villela and his golf group The Loud Boys Group. Villela got support from various local businesses such as Publix, Sweetbay and Sam’s Club to provide lunch to all registered donors. Last year Villela held a blood drive in honor of Roy, collecting more than 100 units of blood. This year, he hopes to double that number.
 
Registered donors will also receive a special commemorative t-shirt.