Students at Anson High School broke the school’s record for blood donations when it held a blood drive earlier this month.
The high school held a blood drive for students on Dec. 8, collecting 61 units of blood.
Ashley Acosta is the adviser for the the high school group Zeta Omega Leadership Academy and a Spanish teacher at the school. The group had a goal to collect 45 units of blood but surprised itself when it went well beyond that number. A total of 102 donors gave blood.
Acosta recognized the members of Zeta Omega for their help: seniors Janay Lindsey, Jabrika Kendall, A’lynda Pratt, Morrisa Bennett, Marneisha Ingram, Lekenya Brown, Jada King, juniors Jasmine Lindsey and Alexandria Tillman, and sophomore Alexis Broadway.
The donated blood will go to the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas.
From there, the blood is donated to 27 hospitals in the region, according to Kim Jones, the center’s director of recruitment and retention.
The 102 donors who participated in the high school’s blood drive helped save 183 people, Jones said.
“Since they did the blood drive in December, it’s a really great time, because people are in the holiday mind frame and shopping and all that,” Jones said. “But unfortunately, our cancer patients don’t have that option and need donations. We really depend on school donations. High schools and universities provide about 25 percent of our donations annually.”
CBCC is the main provider of blood for the Anson hospital.
Jones said that while 37 of the nation’s population can donate, only about seven percent do.
“With the aging population that we have, we really need to introduce blood donations to our young so they can sustain the blood needs of the older population,” Jones said. “So we’re constantly relying on that seven percent or less to sustain our needs in this country.”
The group will hold a larger blood drive on April 12, opening this one up to the community. Acosta said that Zeta Omega hopes to break its new record during that blood drive and would like community participation.
Donors must be 16 or older, and minors need parental consent to donate. Donors should be healthy, though individuals with some medical conditions such as diabetes and those on certain medications can donate. Donors are screened before they give blood to ensure safety for both them and the recipients.
“Even though donor may say, ‘I feel I’m OK, I just have a little sore throat,’ they do have to remember that the end recipient is in the hospital for a reason,” Jones said. “We don’t want to expose them to even a minor cold since their immune system is down. That’s why their first question is ‘Are you feeling well and healthy today?”
CBCC provides scholarship opportunities for deserving students. Senior Janay Lindsey, who assisted with the Zeta Omega drive, recently won a $1,000 scholarship for her service. Schools that collect 100 units of blood throughout the year are awarded a $500 scholarship to give to a student, Jones said.
The blood center will hold a drawing for Carolina Panthers playoffs tickets for any donors who donate through Jan. 14, according to Jones. Donations made at any blood drive that benefits CBCC will be counted toward the drawing.
Acosta said that Anson High School and Anson New Technology High School will soon finalize the time for their April 12 community blood drive, which will be hosted at the combined schools’ location in Wadesboro across from Walmart.
Reach reporter Imari Scarbrough at 704-994-5471 and follow her on Twitter @ImariScarbrough.