MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Local blood banks are being asked to send donations to help victims from Tuesday's deadly Texas school shooting.

SunCoast Blood Centers in Lakewood Ranch is sending 30 units of blood from Manatee County to South Texas, and CEO Scott Bush added to the supply by donating to the shipment himself on Thursday.

According to Bush, SunCoast is part of the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC), which is a national network of blood banks that are on-call in case of a sudden need.

“We have a passion to help, and to be where we are needed,” he said. “If something arises, we want to respond. We try to take care of the local need first, but if we have the availability to help to do more, we certainly will."

Officials with the blood bank say they plan to help as much as possible, even as they are facing an ongoing nationwide donor shortage.

American Red Cross officials said earlier this year that the blood shortage is the worst they have seen in more than a decade, brought on in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic. SunCoast workers say they are seeing the same issue as countless other banks nationwide.

Regular donors like Lawrence Vissers, of Manatee County, say they are trying to help. He came in on Thursday to donate because of the shooting.

“I heard with the shooting that they needed more blood,” he said. “This is my way to help out.”

SunCoast is on call for BERC now, and may be asked to send more blood to Texas.

For more information on how to donate, visit the SunCoast Blood Centers' website.