There were 235 Bryant High School students who registered to donate blood in a drive sponsored by the high school Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and the American Red Cross.
According to Red Cross representative Randy Stribling, that number of volunteers is the highest of any high school in the state this year. Although some students were turned away due to stringent medical requirements and time constraints, Bryant volunteers were still able to donate 102 units, equivalent to 1,632 ounces, of blood.[more]
The donation will help supply Arkansas hospitals with this much-needed medical resource. According to Stribling, the 53 hospitals across the state require at least 500 units of blood per day. Yet still, the amount of people willing to donate is steadily declining in Arkansas.
BHS senior Tara Wayman, FCCLA President, said she could not watch the need continue to rise. After family experience taught her the value of blood donation, she took on the responsibilities of organizing a school-wide blood drive.
“It’s been crazy,” she stated, “but it turned out way better than I ever expected. We were hoping to reach 85 units, but Bryant students gave even more than that.”
This was the second time for FCCLA to sponsor the campus drive.
“The number of students willing to donate was phenomenal,” said Stribling. “On behalf of the American Red Cross, I want to thank both Bryant High School for allowing us to conduct our blood drive on their campus and a special thanks to all the wonderful staff and students who both volunteered their time to help with the drive and donate blood.”
Students under 18 years old were required to provide proof of parental consent before they were allowed to donate. Both Wayman and Stribling hope to hold another blood drive on campus during the spring semester.
