Kids & Family

Preview: Blood Drive in Honor of '95 BHS Grad Chip Pannhorst

1995 Babylon grad Chip Pannhorst lost his fight with leukemia earlier this year, but the fight against cancer goes on.

The American Legion Post 1634 in West Babylon will host a blood drive with the American Red Cross and Members of "Chip's Army" on Saturday, August 25th to honor the memory of Charles "Chip" Pannhorst.

Chip Pannhorst, a 1995 Babylon High School graduate, passed away earlier this year following a battle with leukemia after being diagnosed last June. During his first few weeks of treatments, friends and family members began reaching out asking what they could do to help.  Tobey Thurston, Chip's sister, created a website to raise money for his medical expenses by selling t-shirts and tote bags.

The response was so overwhelming that on June 14, Chip’s family decided to set up the Charles Pannhorst Living Trust, now also known as Chip’s Army.

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Unfortunately, Chip passed away, surrounded by family and friends, on April 17th of this year. From the point the "Army" had been created, it had raised over $15,000 for medical expenses. It had been Chip's dream all along, though, to beat his cancer and turn the Army into a non-profit organization. Today, his family and friends continue his fight.

The organization will be seeking blood donations starting at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. A blood donation may help save up to three lives and it only takes about an hour of time. The American Red Cross is urging all eligible donors to help keep the blood supply strong this summer by making an appointment to donate blood today by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or by visiting redcrossblood.org.

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