Grace Bible Church hosts annual Molly Bowden blood drive

UPDATE: The American Red Cross says 98 units of blood were collected Friday.

ORIGINAL: The American Red Cross and Collective Emergency Services of Columbia will hold the annual Molly Bowden Memorial blood drive Friday in Columbia.

Named for Officer Molly Bowden, who was killed during a traffic stop in January 2005, the blood drive will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m at Grace Bible Church, 601 Blue Ridge Road.

Craig Jackson of the Red Cross’ Central Blood Services Division said the Red Cross has an “urgent need for blood, and this is a tremendous annual event.”

For an appointment, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org and enter the sponsor code “MollyBowden.”