WILMINGTON, Del. – Since Director of Donor Recruitment Joanna Arat joined Blood Bank of Delmarva two years ago, she has aimed to increase collections at schools throughout the Delmarva Peninsula.
Some high schools and colleges only hold one blood drive per year, and she has tried to have her Account Managers talk schools into holding two instead. Or, if they hold two already, why not three, et cetera, to help combat chronic shortages?
Arat achieved that goal for her alma mater, Ursuline Academy, on Monday, October 20, among others.
“We collected 27 units on Monday. I am definitely proud of my alma mater for stepping up to save lives by hosting a fall blood drive,” she said. “Ursuline has traditionally only hosted one drive in February, but they were happy to host an additional fall drive during their spirit week to help with our collections.
“What I especially love about the Ursuline blood drive is the extra support from alumnae, parents, and faculty who roll up their sleeves and support the Student Council’s efforts,” she added. “Even Winnie [the school dog] was there to greet donors and provide hugs for a job well done.”
High schools and colleges account for about 25 percent of the blood BBD collects during the school year, making them a vital part of collections.
Ursuline was also the first school blood drive to be covered by The Dialog, the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington’s newspaper of record. The Dialog plans to cover all blood drives this year held by local, Catholic schools:
- Ursuline, Oct 20th
- St Marks, Nov 6th
- Archmere, Nov 11th
- Salesianum, Dec 2nd
- Padua, TBD (March)
View The Dialog’s coverage: Ursuline Academy gives to benefit Blood Bank of Delmarva: Photo gallery – The Dialog.
