Students’ Blood Drives Net Money for College

By Jessica Adler, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.

Jun. 2–The Central Illinois Community Blood Center has recruited some new blood to help alleviate the yearly summer blood shortage.

The Blood Center joined with Belleville Memorial Hospital’s Memorial Foundation in the first annual High School Blood Challenge.

Schools competed in three categories — small, medium, and large — and winners were awarded Wednesday: Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, Governor French Academy in Belleville, and Greenville High School. Each received a $1000 scholarship to award to a graduating senior of their choice.

“I’m extremely grateful to the Foundation for providing these scholarships,” said David R. Parsons, chief executive officer for the Central Illinois Community Blood Center. “It’s a great exercise in community involvement. Every one of these kids can say that they saved a life — it’s not everyday you can say that.”

Out of the 37,000 units of blood donated through the Blood Center this year, 1,378 resulted from the High School Blood Challenge. Donations were accepted from students over age 16 with parental consent, and from donors recruited by students.

Governor French Academy of Belleville, winner of the small-school category, had 55 donations — that’s more than its total enrollment of 52 students, and makes the school’s participation in the challenge 146.15 percent.

Student Harry Williams, 18, who plans to attend the University of Evansville in Indiana to pursue a career in journalism, was awarded the $1000 scholarship.

Althoff Catholic High School took the award for the largest-school category. Out of Althoff’s 1,074 students, 221 donated, for a participation of 26.82 percent. Althoff has not yet selected which of its seniors will receive the scholarship.

“We have someone in mind,” said Orella Gansmann, student council moderator for Althoff. “It will be someone that is involved in community service and is financially needy.”

Greenville High School students Amanda Lawson and Chelsea Marti, both 18, will split the scholarship awarded to their school. While 256 students of Greenville’s 525 students — 60.19 percent — participated in the blood drive, Lawson and Marti helped organize the drive and recruit donors. Each will use her share of the scholarship toward attending Southern University of Illinois Carbondale, where Lawson will study Animal Science and Marti Agricultural Business.

Central Illinois Community Blood Center is the sole provider of blood to 19 hospitals in the region. It hopes local residents will follow the students’ example to prevent the blood crises experienced in past summers when families vacation out of town and fewer people donate.

“The lifeblood of hospitals literally and figuratively is its blood supply,” said Henry Maier, president of the Memorial Foundation. “Luckily, our blood supply has never been interrupted. However, getting people started early in the blood donation process plays a critical part in keeping blood supply steady in a supply crisis.”

Blood drives will be held in multiple locations throughout the summer. For more information, contact the Central Illinois Community Blood Center at 343-0361, or the American Red Cross at 1 (800) GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543).

Contact reporting intern Jessica Adler at jadler@bnd.com or 239-2536.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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