News-Current Report

BEAVERCREEK — Beavercreek High School had 124 first-time donors, 113 donations and 157 register to donate during the annual Student Council Spring Blood Drives March 4.

Blood drive committee chairperson Maddie Stowe and fellow Student Council volunteers checked in students as they arrived for their appointments.

“We recruited on Twitter,” said Maddie Stowe. “It went well – we have over 150 appointments. We said, ‘If you want to help the community and give back in an easy way, come down and donate blood!’”

Faculty advisors Jana Rae Debord and Glenn Gilbert were on hand to help, but gave full credit to the council members.

“Glenn and I just oversee it and make sure everything goes the way it needs to go,” said Deboard. “They are the ones responsible for making it a success.”

Committee members brought in food and asked local businesses to donate refreshments for the Donor Café. All Student Council members help out during the busy blood drive. But perhaps the toughest job is recruiting classmates to donate. Student Council President Raven McCree and council historian Ciara Ashbrook wanted to lead by example.

“Last year I wasn’t able to donate, so this year I wanted to save lives,” said McCree, who wore an arm bandage in Beavercreek colors – black with an orange bow – from her first lifetime donation. She plans to study medicine next year, perhaps at the University of Alabama.

“This is one of my people’s events. I said I have to do this, and go in there and support us,” she said.

“We made it this year, both of us!” said Ashbrook, who also donated for the first time. “We were so excited. We were right across from each other on the beds.”

Senior Morgan Turner also made her first lifetime donation, “If I can save a life, this is pretty easy.”

Senior Soraya Huddleston learned to love rock climbing while growing up in Utah. Her dad is a US Air Force physician at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and she plans to study medicine next year at BYU-Idaho. That inspired her to make her first blood donation Friday. She considers it part of the challenge of going away to school, and as a young Mormon, going on an 18-month mission trip.

“I’m excited,” she said. “It could be anywhere.”

The blood drive routine was familiar for senior David Collins, who plans to major in physics next year at Ohio State University. He explained why he was motivated to make his second lifetime donation Friday. “Two main factors,” he said. “First, there’s food over there! Second one: it’s the right thing to do. If I were to get into an accident it’s comforting to know that other people are doing this.”

Submitted photo Beavercreek Student Council President Raven McCree and council historian Ciara Ashbrook lead by example during a recent blood drive.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2016/03/web1_beavers.jpgSubmitted photo Beavercreek Student Council President Raven McCree and council historian Ciara Ashbrook lead by example during a recent blood drive.

Story courtesy of the Community Blood Center.