STEBBINS HIGH SCHOOL IS BACK IN STRIDE WITH UNITY BLOOD DRIVE
RIVERSIDE, Ohio – Stebbins High School is back in stride after a second full year of hosting blood drives following the disruption of the pandemic. The March 24 “Unity in Community” spring blood drive was a cause for celebration.
“We’ve been filling up,” said blood drive coordinator Ann Marie Boyce, who teaches Exercise Science and Sports Medicine in the career tech program. “We always fill up, but it would take four weeks to fill the schedule. I’m filling it now in two weeks.”
Friday’s blood drive topped 119% of goal with 70 donors, 55 donations and 31 first time donors. Stebbins was one of five CBC high school blood drives Friday that together totaled 209 donors and 72 first time donors, representing 57% of all CBC blood donor registrations for the day.
Stebbins and rival Fairborn High School have partnered with Community Blood Center and Universal 1 Credit Union in the “Unity in the Community” campaign since 2018. The rivals each host a CBC blood drive and alternate choosing a local charity for the $1,000 Unity Award sponsored by Universal 1.
Fairborn chose the Fairborn Fish food pantry as the 2022 recipient. Stebbins will name the 2023 recipient and award the $1,000 check at the Stebbins vs. Fairborn basketball game in December.
Stebbins blood drives volunteers are members of the SkillsUSA career tech student organization.
“We have help from kids from each career tech,” said SkillsUSA President Maddox Roy. “Engineers, that’s what I’m in, brought in utensils. Construction brought in protein foods and juices. Exercise science brought in drinks and stuff. Criminal Justice brought in plates and protein foods. HVAC did snacks like granola bars and napkins. We all got assigned something and worked on it together.”
The benefit for the donors was a feast in the Donor Café, including mini-hotdogs steaming in barbecue sauce. “The crockpot meals, we did all that too,” said Sports Medicine student Madison Alcorn.
Ann Marie said the blood drive fits well as a SkillsUSA service project, and donors are motivated to qualify for the Community Blood Center Red Cord program by registering to donate at least three times before graduation.
Senior Samantha Begines made her third donation Friday and said, “One reason is to get my Red Cord.”
Junior Rochelle Woodson remembered when she couldn’t donate at the school blood drive because she was too young and it was a week before her birthday. She made her first donation at last year’s Unity blood drive and her second lifetime donation on Friday.
“I always wanted to be a blood donor,” said Rochelle.
Support at Stebbins for Friday’s Unity Blood drive rose nearly 15% from a year ago. Fairborn’s Feb. 23 Unity Blood Drive topped 111% of collection goal with 54 donors, 39 donations and 33 first time donors, and 80% increase from 2022.
Together the rivals totaled 124 donors and 64 first time donors for the 2023 Unity Campaign, a 36% increase from 2022.
Blood donation requirements: Donors are required to provide a photo ID that includes their full name. Past CBC donors are also asked to bring their CBC donor ID card. Donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 years old with parental consent: form available at www.givingblood.org or at the Dayton CBC and mobile blood drive locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds (you may have to weigh more depending on your height), and be in good physical health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changes blood donor eligibility guidelines periodically. Individuals with eligibility questions can email canidonate@cbccts.org or call (937) 461-3220. Make an appointment at www.DonorTime.com.
Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services® is an independent, not-for-profit organization. Community Blood Center provides blood products to partner hospitals and health centers within its 15-county service area of western Ohio and eastern Indiana and to select hospitals and blood centers outside the region. For more information visit www.givingblood.org.
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