These Photos Of Las Vegas Residents Waiting In Long Lines To Give Blood Are So, So Inspiring
Late in the evening on Sunday, Oct. 1, a 64-year-old gunman opened fire on concert attendees at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. He did so from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Las Vegas Police Department Sheriff Joe Lombardo confirmed that 59 people have died, and at least 515 more were injured. Now, locals are doing everything in their power to help the victims of the shooting and their families — one method of choice being to donate blood. These photos of Las Vegas residents waiting to give blood are so inspiring, and hopefully, they'll motivate you to do the same.
As you'll see in the photos below, many of the lines to donate blood are completely wrapped around the block, showing the sheer resilience of the citizens of Las Vegas as they stand in unity with the shooting victims.
While it can be difficult sometimes to know exactly what to do to help following a violent attack such as this one, donating blood, if you're able to, is a great way to lend your support to the victims. In situations where victims have lost a lot of blood, area hospitals will be in dire need of a solid supply. The more victims there are, the more blood is needed.
If you're located in Las Vegas and you're wondering where you can donate blood, a list of six locations is being shared around Twitter.
The six donation spots are all United Blood Services locations in the following cities: one in Carson City, one in Henderson, two in Las Vegas, one in Reno, and one in Sparks.
If you're not located in the general Las Vegas area, but you'd still like to help, you can donate to organizations like Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada, which provides medical services to those without health care. You can also share posts about blood donation services or ways to locate missing loved ones across social media channels to ensure that the people who are able to immediately help are aware of how to do so.
Another way to help make a difference following this senseless tragedy is to call your senators and your representatives. As this shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history — and considering past tragedies like the Sandy Hook shooting — it's impossible to ignore the effect that poor gun control is having on the nation. That's why now it is more important than ever to speak up about gun violence.
For help finding out the appropriate number to call, visit the website for Everytown For Gun Safety. If you fill out the form on their website, they will do the nitty-gritty of finding out the appropriate representative's number. From there, it's up to you to dial them up and get talking. Everytown For Gun Safety suggests you say the following:
1. Tell them your name, and that you're a constituent.
2. Tell them to vote NO on Senate Bill 446, what they call "concealed carry reciprocity".
You can also click here to search for your Senator, and here to search for your Rep. If you're not sure what to say, here's an incredibly helpful script from Americans for Responsible Solutions:
Hello, my name is __________, and I'm calling today from __(city)__ to urge Representative __________ to ask you to oppose legislation that would deregulate the sale of firearm silencers.
Laws regulating the sale of firearm silencers have been on the books for more than eight decades, and there are very few cases where they are used in crimes. Deregulating their sale will make it easier for criminals to get their hands on them and make us all less safe.
Thank you for sharing my message.
It's always important to take action against injustice and support those in need, but it's especially vital in times like these. If you're in search of more ways to help the victims of the Las Vegas shooting, click here.
