ConAgra employees gave back to the community June 19 at the Red Cross blood drive hosted by St. Mary Mother of the Church.

Seventy-four pints of blood were donated from the location.

Originally, the Red Cross set a goal of 40 blood donors for the event. When ConAgra asked to team up with the church for the drive, the number of anticipated donors changed to 70.

American Red Cross Regional Executive Director Barry Porter said ConAgra employees wanted to donate because they now understand the importance of having blood ready to use in an emergency. It takes two days for a donors blood to go through tests and be ready to use.

“Another disaster like this could happen,” Porter said. “It [blood] has to be on-hand.”

Other Garner residents came to donate blood as well. Porter said many empathized and felt that donating was the one way they could help after the ConAgra accident earlier this month.

Director of Blood Services Sherry Mitchell said the experience helped the employees and Garner residents alike with the healing process.

“It’s made them feel good,” she said.

ConAgra enterprise quality assurance employee Anita Colglazier, of Angier, donated during the event.

She said she heard about the drive Friday morning at an all plant meeting. She wanted to give back to the community because of all the support that had been given for the ConAgra employees.

“It feels good to help other people because the community has been really supportive,” Colglazier said.

ConAgra helped sponsor the blood drive. All snacks for blood donors were given by the company.

ConAgra will host its own blood drive in August for employees to donate again.

CSB investigation to reveal more about accident

Officials from the Chemical Safety Board said last week the June 9 explosion may have been caused by a gas line that was purged into vacuum pump room #2 by a contractor.

Chairman of the CSB John Bresland said the agency would take its time to find out whether that was the case.

The investigation could take up to 12 months he said.