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Once again, the Farmville Police Department and the Farmville Fire Department will team up with the American Red Cross for the 10th Annual “Heartland Heroes Blood Drive” to be held Friday, April 3.

Just like previous years, each donor will be asked to donate blood in honor of one of the departments. The department generating the most donations will be awarded the “Heartland Heroes Blood Drive” trophy to house for the year.

This trophy is provided by the American Red Cross.

Since it began in 2011, the Heartland Heroes Blood Drive has collected 568 units of blood, potentially saving up to 1700 lives.

The competition has been fierce in years past, and this drive is expected to be no different. The Farmville Fire Department will be defending their title win from last year, but with a strong donor push, the Farmville Police Department is excited about a comeback.

According to the American Red Cross, they must collect over 13,000 units of blood each day to keep up with the current demand. The Red Cross said the need is constant, but the gratification is instant. And new for this year, all donors will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card.

The blood drive will be held at the John’s Memorial Parish House on High Street from noon until 6 p.m.

Department members will be on site cooking hamburgers and hotdogs while recruiting additional donors.