Ellwood City Blood Drive Honors Memory of Shooting Victim

(Ellwood City) – Richard Hogue’s family knows they can never bring him back, but they have chosen to turn their pain into saving lives by hosting a blood drive in his memory. Every year since his 2013 murder, they have held the drive near the anniversary of his death, and this year the event will be on the actual date, Nov. 16, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ellwood Area Family Center gym, 311 College Street, Ellwood City, PA  16117.

Hogue was a hardworking, blue-collar man who lived to love and help others, a true man with a heart of gold, says his mother, Debbie Murdock. “He was always first to help family, friends and neighbors in need and talk to anyone in troubled places and guide them to a better judgment,” she said. “Above all, spending time with his family was most important to him, and he leaves behind a son who is now 11 that adored him, a mother left empty and distraught, two heartbroken sisters he loved dearly, and two nieces.

“We know we can never bring Richard back but we have chosen to take our pain and turn it into

supporting life with a blood drive so that a priceless gift can be given to other families in his honor: the gift of time. Whether the blood donations are used to save a life, to prolong a life, or to improve the quality of life, it helps keep Richard’s memory alive.”

The blood drive is being conducted by Vitalant (formerly Central Blood Bank). Vitalant one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit community blood service providers. Vitalant supplies comprehensive transfusion medicine services to nearly 1,000 hospitals and health care partners for patients in need across 40 states, including 50 health care facilities in western Pennsylvania and parts of West Virginia and Ohio.

To schedule an appointment, donors can visit the website vitalant.org and click on the donate button; call 877-25 VITAL (84825); or download the Vitalant-Pittsburgh smartphone mobile app. Use group code Z0020906 to register for this drive. Walk-ins also welcome.

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Contact: Kristen Lane
O  412.209.7029
C  412.506.2260