Annual Student Council Blood Drive Collects 150 Pints Friday

Collingswood High School students streamed in and out of the gymnasium doors Friday, taking time out of their day to donate blood and platelets at the school’s annual Red Cross blood drive.

The gym was filled with donation tables and Red Cross professionals, and students were scattered between the recovery area—with water and cookies—and the seating section, waiting for their turns to donate.

Organized by the high school's student council, the blood drive has been an annual event for more than 25 years.

Last year, student council broke their own record—by having more than 170 people donate in one day.

The school ended this year’s drive with 150 units of blood collected for the Red Cross.

Red Cross Communications Manager Anthony Tornetta said both high school and college blood drives make up a large part of the Red Cross' blood supply.

And Tornetta gave Collingswood High School special honors. Tornetta said Collingswood runs one of the largest high school blood drives in the region.

“It’s nice for them (Collingswood High School) to get involved with something like this, and get in the habit of giving blood,” said Kathy Goulburn, who is a Collingswood High School math teacher, and also acts as student council adviser.

According to the Red Cross, blood donation is beneficial not only to the receiver, but also to the giver. Donors get information such as the blood pressure, type and hemoglobin levels.

Kim Roos, a Collingswood math teacher and junior class adviser, said that this year, the blood drive is more important than ever. Because of Southern New Jersey's weather conditions this past winter, snow has stopped people from going out and donating.

“It saves lives,” Roos said of donating blood. “We have a severe blood shortage now, and this is important.”

The Red Cross recently introduced its Recovery 2011 project, which encourages blood drive sponsors to go above-and-beyond their yearly goals.

“Since Jan. 1, across the country, we've been unable to collect approximately 30,000 units of blood—due to inclement weather. Locally, we are about 3,000 units off from our overall blood supply,” Tornetta, of Red Cross, said. “We are still playing catch-up.”

Collingswood High School Student Council Secretary Jen Morrison, 17, said the borough's annual drive is an event even students look forward to participating in.

“We get to represent the Red Cross, and our school, with this event. It's a good way to get people out and enjoying something that's for a good cause,” Morrison said.

Tornetta said the American Red Cross advocates the importance of introducing high school students to blood donation.

“We introduce them to the idea of donating blood at an early age, with the idea that it is a good experience—and not a painful process,” said Tornetta. “Those (the high school students) are the people who are still donating five or 10 years later."