News and Events

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Quiz for the 25th Anniversary of the School Blood Drive Program

Tuesday, October 27
Waterview Grille at The Easton Club
Recognizing high schools in Talbot, Caroline, Kent and Queen Anne's Counties

New Castle and Cecil County High School Luncheon
October 21, 2009
Cranston Heights Fire Hall - Wilmington, DE

High School Luncheon for students on the Lower and Upper Eastern Shore of MD
October 14, 2009
Brew River Restaurant and Brewery - Salisbury, MD

WILMINGTON, DE - Blood Bank of Delmarva will hold an awards luncheon on Wednesday, October 21 from Noon to 1:30pm at Cranston Heights Fire Hall in Wilmington (3306 Kirkwood Highway) to recognize 34 high schools in New Castle and Cecil Counties for their lifesaving contributions to the record-breaking 2008-2009 School Blood Drive Program. This luncheon is attended by students and school advisors who will play a major role in organizing high school blood drives during the 2009-2010 season, the 25th anniversary of the School Program.

Students at New Castle and Cecil County high schools contributed 2,958 units of blood to the School Program last year. Seventy-five high schools and colleges across the Peninsula held more blood drives than ever before, resulting in a record number of blood donations. A total of 6,909 blood donations were collected at 119 school blood drives from September 2008 to May 2009 - up nearly 3.5% from 6,684 donations the previous school year.

The following schools took top honors for the largest number of blood donors:

New Castle County:

Small Schools (less than 75 students in the senior class)
First Place - St. Andrew's School - 40 donors
Third Place - Tower Hill School - 39 donors

Mid-Size Schools (between 76-224 students in the senior class)
First Place - St. Elizabeth High School - 97 donors
Second Place - Archmere Academy - 82 donors
Third Place - Cab Calloway School of the Arts - 57 donors

Large Schools (between 225-299 students in the senior class)
First Place - Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School - 127 donors
Second Place - Charter School of Wilmington - 101 donors
Third Place - Christiana High School - 97 donors

Extra-Large Schools (more than 300 students in the senior class)
First Place - William Penn High School - 264 donors
Second Place - St. Mark's High School - 199 donors
Third Place - Delcastle Technical High School - 178 donors

Cecil County:
First Place - Bohemia Manor High School - 180 donors
Second Place - Rising Sun High School - 139 donors
Third Place - Cecil County School of Technology - 87 donors

The other participating schools in New Castle and Cecil Counties include: Sanford School- 29 donors; West Nottingham Academy- 33 donors; Red Lion Christian Academy- 34 donors; Caravel Academy- 34 donors; Wilmington Christian School- 27 donors; Glasgow High School- 45 donors; John Dickinson High School- 46 donors; Padua Academy- 50 donors; Howard High School- 52 donors; Perryville High School- 52 donors; Delaware Military Academy- 56 donors; North East High School- 60 donors; Thomas McKean High School- 60 donors; Newark High School- 43 donors ; Concord High School- 86 donors; Salesianum School- 88 donors; Brandywine High School- 109 donors; Alexis I. duPont High School- 151 donors; and Middletown High School- 160 donors.

"The goal is to attract the most donors - and save lives. Students do everything from recruiting blood donors to helping on the day of the drive, and it's really encouraging to see the enthusiasm," said Lauren Bacon, coordinator of the Blood Bank's School Blood Drive Program. "The competition has been one of the most effective tools we have to attract young people to give blood, and in our eyes, all the schools are winners."

Winning schools in the Blood Bank's first student video contest will also be announced. Local students were asked to produce a short, creative video at their school recruiting for, promoting, or participating in their school blood drive. Video submissions will be shown, and cash prizes will be awarded.

The School Blood Drive Program provides 8% of the blood supply on Delmarva. The program started in 1984 with just 140 donations at two schools.

The Blood Bank held a contest encouraging students to produce a creative, 2 to 3 minute video of students, teachers, and parents at school recruiting for, promoting, and/or participating in the school blood drive. The top three videos were chosen at the end of the school year and are shown in the video above.

Congratulations to the winners!

"Employers are the Best Donor Recruiters" - 2009

Student leaders, teachers, and principals from Kent and Sussex County high schools attended an awards luncheon on October 8, 2009 to be recognized for their work in breaking blood donation records in 2009 and to plan this year's drives. Last year, school blood drives all over Delmarva provided 6,909 blood donations!

SALISBURY, MD - Blood Bank of Delmarva will hold an awards luncheon on Wednesday, October 14 from Noon to 1:30pm at Brew River Restaurant and Bar in Salisbury (504 W. Main Street) to recognize thirteen high schools in Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties for their lifesaving contributions to the record-breaking 2008-2009 School Blood Drive Program. This luncheon is attended by students and school advisors who will play a major role in organizing high school blood drives during the 2009-2010 season, the 25th anniversary of the School Program.

A separate luncheon will be held on Tuesday, October 27 from Noon to 1:30pm at the Waterview Grille at The Easton Club (28449 Clubhouse Drive in Easton) to recognize the five high schools in Talbot, Caroline, Kent and Queen Anne's Counties.

Students at Eastern Shore high schools contributed 1,152 units of blood to the School Program last year. Seventy-five high schools and colleges across the Peninsula held more blood drives than ever before, resulting in a record number of blood donations. A total of 6,909 blood donations were collected at 119 school blood drives from September 2008 to May 2009 - up nearly 3.5% from 6,684 donations the previous school year.

The following schools took top honors for the largest number of blood donors:

Lower Eastern Shore:
First Place - Salisbury Christian School - 109 donors
Second Place - Parkside High School - 106 donors
Third Place - Wicomico High School - 101 donors

Upper Eastern Shore:
First Place - Colonel Richardson High School - 130 donors
Second Place - TIE: North Caroline and Queen Anne's County High School - 109 donors
Third Place - Kent County High School - 67 donors

The other participating schools on the Eastern Shore include: Salisbury School - 23 donors; Holly Grove Christian School - 30 donors; Mardela High School - 40 donors; Cambridge South Dorchester High School - 39 donors; Pocomoke High School - 42 donors; Stephen Decatur High School - 55 donors; James M. Bennett High School - 72 donors; North Dorchester High School - 57 donors; Snow Hill High School - 61 donors; Crisfield High School - 67 donors; and Easton High School - 44 donors.

"The goal is to attract the most donors - and save lives. Students do everything from recruiting blood donors to helping on the day of the drive, and it's really encouraging to see the enthusiasm," said Suzanne Murray, Blood Bank school blood drive coordinator for the lower Eastern Shore. "The competition has been one of the most effective tools we have to attract young people to give blood, and in our eyes, all the schools are winners."

Winning schools in the Blood Bank's first student video contest will also be announced. Local students were asked to produce a short, creative video at their school recruiting for, promoting, or participating in their school blood drive. Video submissions will be shown, and cash prizes will be awarded.

The School Blood Drive Program provides 8% of the blood supply on Delmarva. The program started in 1984 with just 140 donations at two schools.

MILFORD, DE - Blood Bank of Delmarva will hold an awards luncheon on Thursday, October 8 from 11:30am to 1:30pm at La Tonalteca Mexican Restaurant in Milford (654 N. DuPont Highway) to recognize thirteen high schools in Kent and Sussex Counties for their lifesaving contributions to the record-breaking 2008-2009 School Blood Drive Program. This luncheon is attended by students and school advisors who will play a major role in organizing high school blood drives during the 2009-2010 season, the 25th anniversary of the School Program.

Students at Kent and Sussex County high schools contributed 1,222 units of blood to the School Program last year. Seventy-five high schools and colleges across the Peninsula held more blood drives than ever before, resulting in a record number of blood donations. A total of 6,909 blood donations were collected at 119 school blood drives from September 2008 to May 2009 - up nearly 3.5% from 6,684 donations the previous school year.

The following schools took top honors for the largest number of blood donors:

Kent County:
First Place - Lake Forest High School - 216 donors
Second Place - Smyrna High School - 145 donors
Third Place - Polytech High School - 101 donors

Sussex County:
First Place - Sussex Technical High School - 166 donors
Second Place - Seaford High School - 141 donors
Third Place - Indian River High School - 105 donors

The other participating schools in Kent and Sussex Counties include: Dover High School- 34 donors; Woodbridge High School- 34 donors; Laurel High School- 37 donors; Sussex Central High School- 53 donors; Delmar High School- 56 donors; Milford High School- 57 donors; and Caesar Rodney High School- 77 donors.

"The goal is to attract the most donors - and save lives. Students do everything from recruiting blood donors to helping on the day of the drive, and it's really encouraging to see the enthusiasm," said Lauren Bacon, coordinator of the Blood Bank's School Blood Drive Program. "The competition has been one of the most effective tools we have to attract young people to give blood, and in our eyes, all the schools are winners."

Winning schools in the Blood Bank's first student video contest will also be announced. Local students were asked to produce a short, creative video at their school recruiting for, promoting, or participating in their school blood drive. Video submissions will be shown, and cash prizes will be awarded.

The School Blood Drive Program provides 8% of the blood supply on Delmarva. The program started in 1984 with just 140 donations at two schools.

Bill Mariano joined Blood Bank of Delmarva in 1972 after his older brother developed lymphoma and needed a bone marrow transplant. Bill, along with his seven other siblings, discovered that they were not a bone marrow match for their brother and asked the nurse what they could do to help. She told them the next best thing is to donate blood.

Pictured: Bill with his wife, Maria, and two grandchildren.

Bill began donating platelets, a component of blood that goes to local patients battling cancer, leukemia and other conditions.

"It's my way of contributing to the recovery of these patients," Bill said. "They have immediate blood needs, just like my brother did. It's the least I can do to help."

Bill has been donating platelets about every two months since. To join Bill in the lifesaving act of giving blood, call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8 or click HERE.