KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTY STUDENTS TO BE HONORED FOR BREAKING BLOOD DONATION RECORDS
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.
