High school mobile drives typically account for about 25 percent of the blood supply for Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) as well as the most first-time donors. Having successful high school drives is imperative to BBD’s ongoing success.
This month, Polytech High School and Middletown High School were just two of several high-collection high school drives to close out the 2024 calendar year.
On December 6, Polytech collected 39 units and had 18 first-time donors. This was the second fall semester drive for the Panthers, as the school’s October 1 drive collected 58 units and had 39 first-time donors. Combine both of those with the school’s March 25 drive, and Polytech accounted for 155 units and 82 first-time donors in 2024.
“I enjoy donating,” said senior Addison Dapias, who was making her fourth donation of the year. “I know I’m giving my blood to people who need it.”
Fellow Polytech senior Tyler Harris joined his girlfriend Juliana Sites and their friend Cheyenne Miller in donating.
“My parents donate, so I thought it would be pretty cool,” he said.
Meanwhile, on December 17, Middletown collected 47 units and had an outstanding 39 first-time donors – many of whom while hopefully become future regular faces at BBD’s Middletown Donor Center that opened earlier this year.
“I really like the idea of knowing I could be helping save someone’s life,” said senior Shil Shah. “I definitely hope to continue to donate in the future.”
Shil and her fellow HOSA members at Middletown High School helped coordinate the drive.
Nearby Odessa High School added to the collections for the week with 37 units and 35 first-time donors on December 18, while Sussex Central High School collected 47 units and had 34 first-time donors on December 19.
Overall, 16 schools across the Delmarva Peninsula eclipsed 100 total units of blood collected in 2024 – led by Cape Henlopen High School, which held four drives and collected 193 units and had 64 first-time donors. Delcastle collected the most out of two drives – 147 units, while William Penn registered an amazing 111 first-time donors over two drives.
As 2025 approaches, one of the first schools on the schedule is Smyrna, which collected the third-highest amount of blood in 2024 with 153 units over three drives.
