When Jacob Ingham's grandparents were involved in a serious car crash last year, he decided it was time to roll up his sleeves and motivate others to help save lives. "It wasn't really until then that I became aware of how important blood donation was," he said.
The OHL goalie was among more than 70 people awarded by Canadian Blood Services on Monday night for their generosity.
The Barrie native was presented with the first-ever Dayna Brons Honorary Award on behalf of 'Hockey Gives Blood.' Dayna Brons was among 16 people killed in the tragic Humboldt bus crash last April. She was the team's athletic therapist and an active blood donor.
"Sometimes it takes a tragedy like that to get everyone going and getting the blood donations," Ingham said.
In March, the Mississauga Steelheads goaltender went a step further by pledging $4 for every save he made during the first 50 games of the season, totalling more than $5,500.
"We got a lot more planned, and I think it's going to be a big summer with a lot more blood donations from the guys on our team," he said.
The 18-year-old was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings last year.
