In conjunction with the remembrance of 9/11, the Northwest Rural EMS will be hosting its annual Mayor’s Cup Blood Drive on Sept. 9 from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Tomball Community Center.

The blood drive is a friendly competition between the Tomball Police Department, Northwest Rural EMS, Tomball Fire Department, city officials and the public works department, according to Northwest Rural EMS community outreach chair Carrie Gracey.

Residents are invited to donate blood and can choose an entity in which to pledge the blood. All blood is donated to the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center.

“It’s a friendly competition,” Gracey said. “Really, the people that win are the people that get the blood.”

At the end of the blood drive, pints of blood will be added up for each entity. A trophy is then passed to the group that had the most blood donated in their name.

This will be the fifth year that the blood drive has been held. In previous years, the event was named the Guns and Hoses Blood Drive because it was a competition between the fire department, EMS and police department. However, in recent years the blood drive has expanded to include city officials and the public works department in the competition.

Last year the public works department earned the trophy, according to Gracey. Overall last year, the blood drive brought in 19 pints of blood. However, Gracey said in 2009 the event brought in 43 pints of blood.

Northwest Rural EMS has set a goal of 50 pints of blood for this year’s Mayor’s Cup Blood Drive.

The community center is located at the corner of Cherry and Market Street. Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center will set up with their equipment inside.

Those wanting to donate are encouraged to sign up by visiting giveblood.org. There is no deadline to sign up to donate blood.

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