NEW CASTLE AND CECIL COUNTY STUDENTS TO BE HONORED FOR BREAKING BLOOD DONATION RECORDS
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.
