United Blood Services honored the Valley’s high schools at Chase Field today for their participation in this year’s community blood drive, with students from 148 schools from around the state gathering for a luncheon there.
During the 2007-08 year students donated 18,335 blood transfusions, more than any other age group in the state, according to United Blood Services.
“One out of every 13 blood transfusions required by an Arizona hospital patient is provided by donors at high school blood drives,” Audrey Jennings, executive director for United Blood Services/Arizona, said in a press release.
Gilbert’s Highland High School was honored for producing the most donations from any school (614), having the highest participation rate for a school of its size (90 percent, based on the size of the senior class) and the most Power Red donations of red blood cells (117).
United Blood Services spokeswoman Sue Thew said Highland’s next blood drive is scheduled for Friday and there are already 400 students signed up. “They’re just incredible,” she said.
Another East Valley school, Apache Junction High, also topped its division for participation (82 percent).
The luncheon also featured speeches from state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne and from Tommy Frasier, a freshman from Basha High School in Chandler who is battling leukiemia.
For more information about the challenge, visit www.UnitedBloodServicesAZHS.org.