Clovis teacher nationally recognized for local blood donation efforts

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Clovis teacher has been nationally recognized for taking action to strengthen the country's blood supply.

America's Blood Centers awarded Harriet Huggins with the Larry Frederick Award, which recognizes individuals for community leadership in raising awareness about blood donation.

According to ABC, Huggins's efforts have saved more than 20,307 lives.

"I had been asking God to show me how I could put my faith into action, and the guy just walks up and tells me," recalled Huggins.

One might call it divine timing -- Huggins was donating blood and trying to figure out how to celebrate her 40th birthday.

Dean Eller, the then-President and CEO of the Central California Blood Center, struck up a conversation with Huggins. Eller talked about his daughter Jenny, who had leukemia and eventually passed.

"Anonymous donors, like myself, gave him three more proms and a graduation," she said. "He just shared a story and I was like 'Okay, I know what I'm supposed to do.'"

Huggins asked her loved ones to spend her birthday at the blood center, with the goal of donating 40 pints. They donated 80 pints.

The following year, more than 200 of her Clovis West High School students donated blood for her birthday blood drive.

According to data from the blood center, more than 750 lives were saved just in that day.

For the next 20 years, Huggins supervised her Clovis West students, as they held blood drives for the blood center.

"Our hope has always been that you'll have a positive experience and become a lifelong donor," Huggins said.

America's Blood Centers held its annual Awards of Excellence ceremony in Washington, D.C. in March.

However, Huggins was recently presented the Larry Frederick Award in front of her students.

"I wanted them to see it so that they would get excited, inspired and connect with community service and ways to give back," she said.

The Larry Frederick Award is named after former Oakland police officer Larry Frederick, who was struck in a hit-and-run accident in 1982 while performing a routine traffic stop. He received more than 110 units of blood.