Photo courtesy of Heather Gilotti.
Mike Gilotti served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, including 15 months as a tank commander in Iraq. He was killed outside his home in the Lake Cyrus community in January 2016, and prosecutors were unable to obtain a conviction against the suspects in the case.
LifeSouth Community Blood Centers is holding a blood drive in honor of the late Hoover resident Mike Gilotti at the Hoover Recreation Center on Jan. 29.
The blood drive is being held roughly five years after Gilotti was killed outside his Lake Cyrus home when he found someone breaking into his vehicle in his driveway early one morning in January 2016. He was 33 with a wife and two children.
LifeSouth plans to have at least two buses in the parking lot at the Hoover Rec Center for the blood drive from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., said Cindy Peek, a donor recruiter for LifeSouth and friend of the Gilotti family.
Gilotti’s wife Heather, who now lives in south Alabama, will be returning to Hoover to be at the blood drive, Peek said. It’s a great opportunity to pay tribute to a man who served his country in the U.S. Army, including 15 months as a tank commander in Iraq, Peek said.
At the same time, the remembrance of him is helping save lives, she said. “One pint of blood can save three lives,” shesaid.
LifeSouth will be following COVID-19 guidelines outlined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Peek said. Workers and donors will be required to wear masks, and donors will be separated from one another to follow social distancing guidelines, she said. Also, blood donor seats will be cleaned and disinfected between each donor, she said. People with COVID-19 symptoms are asked not to come.
Donors must be at least 110 pounds and at least 17 years old, or 16 years old with parental permission. Donations typically take about 15 minutes, including filling out the paperwork, Peek said. LifeSouth prefers for people to register for the blood drive in advance at lifesouth.org.
