Alice Edwards (left) receives a service award from Judith Walsh of the American Red Cross March 27 at a special meal in Wilkes County.

Edwards nets Red Cross honor

In March 1966, Alice Edwards made the decision to help people in the Alleghany community through volunteering with the Wilkes-Alleghany chapter of the American Red Cross.

Recalling her first day of volunteering, Edwards said, "My neighbor called me and I told her I'd work, but I wouldn't go near that blood because it used to make me sick."

With a laugh, Edwards said she was "worked to death" on her first day of volunteering, feeling a sense of being overwhelmed with duties involved with preparing bags for more than 200 blood donors.

When asked why she returned after being "worked to death," Edwards said," I decided somebody needed to do these things and I liked it, so I wanted to come back. When I first started out, I made the bags, put all the numbers and everything on the bags. I done that for a long time...I also put vials on the bags. I had to do a lot of taping."

Memories

Edwards said during her time of volunteering, two particular incidents remain in her mind, both involving young blood donors.

"One day, I was looking at this boy and he was sitting in a chair at the table and he was over like that," she said as she demonstrated that the young man had limped over. "He was like a fish. I've seen a lot of stuff like that. It scared me. I was watching this boy. I don't know if they took him to the hospital or what they done with him."

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