SIDNEY — The Lehman Catholic High School Student Council, in cooperation with the Community Blood Center, is sponsoring a Blood Drive on Friday, March 24, in the Schlater Gym in the school.
The idea of hosting a blood drive at Lehman was begun in 1993 to aid longtime Lehman Coach and Business Department Chair Mark Wurm when he was undergoing treatments for cancer. After Wurm’s death in May of that year, plans were made to hold an annual blood drive in his memory. The school now sponsors two blood drives each year and students who sign up to donate at least three times during their high school careers earn a Red Cord Honor Program certificate and are presented with a Red Cord to wear proudly at graduation.
Students who donate at Lehman can also apply for the CBC/Vectren Lead the Way Creative Scholarship. This $5000 scholarship program is designed to support and encourage young adults to be blood resource leaders of tomorrow. CBC and Vectren award five $1000 college tuition assistance scholarships each year to five students from area high schools that host a blood drive.
“The facts are that one in three people will need blood at some time in their lives and every pint donated saves up to three lives,” said Lehman Student Council Advisor Melissa Safreed. “Blood is needed for those who suffer from a variety of blood disorders, as well as those who need to undergo surgery or suffer an accident or injury. In the United States, this amounts to about 37,000 pints needed daily.”
On March 24, the Community Blood Center will set up a facility in the Lehman gym and the drive will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Students and adults who plan to donate need to meet certain criteria: be at least 17 years old (16 with parental permission), weigh at least 110 lbs., and be in general good health. Student athletes are reminded that they should not participate in strenuous activity for 24 hours after donating.
The full process, including registration and recovery, takes approximately 30-40 minutes for well-hydrated adults. Please contact Lehman Catholic High School or [email protected] to register and bring your picture ID the date of the drive. Anyone interested in donating blood can always contact the Community Blood Center and sign up for another drive.
“I am so proud to represent the Lehman Catholic Community by helping our Student Council organized our annual drives,” said Safreed. “Our students never let me down with their participation and energy in volunteering and donating. What better sacrifice can we give than to give the gift of life!”
