MES hosting blood drive to honor Ollie Tetloff

Published 10:01 am Wednesday, September 10, 2014

MES and the American Red Cross will host a blood drive in memory of Ollie Tetloff on Sept. 15. (File)

MES and the American Red Cross will host a blood drive in memory of Ollie Tetloff on Sept. 15. (File)

By GINNY COOPER MCCARLEY / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO—Montevallo Elementary School and the American Red Cross will host a blood drive in memory of Ollie Tetloff, a seven-year-old Montevallo boy who died on July 24 after a more than yearlong fight was neuroblastoma.

The blood drive will take place Monday, Sept. 15 from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Activity Room at MES.

The community rallied around the Montevallo second grader during his struggle with neuroblastoma, a neuroendocrine tumor that develops on nerve tissues throughout the body.

The Iron Order Motorcycle Club of Shelby County sponsored a motorcycle ride, MES classmates donned baseball caps and recorded a video for Tetloff and at the beginning of July, hundreds walked from the lawn of Flowerhill at the University of Montevallo to the Tetloffs’ house, holding thousands of balloons and glow sticks and chanting, “We love Ollie.”

To schedule an appointment for the blood drive, visit Redcrossblood.org and enter the keyword “montevallo.”