Bronco’s Blood Drive Blowout!

November 3, 2011, Centennial High School (CHS) in Utica was host to one of the community’s most successful blood drives to date.   Thankful for their live-saving support, CHS has been a part of the Nebraska Community Blood Bank’s (NCBB) high school blood drive program since 2004.  Members of the community joined students and staff to bleed more than a little Bronco Blue and receive this year’s special edition I Bleed t-shirt.

“They rallied everyone together and really blew this one out of the water,” reported NCBB blood drive recruiter, Jami Kassebaum.  “The November drive ranked as the fourth best drive out of the many held in the past eight years,” added NCBB blood drive recruiter, Ashlee Deeds.  

CHS Student Council includes Middle and High School students who joined forces to call donors and schedule donation times, prepare sandwiches, salads and desserts for donors and blood drive staff, and post signs along Highway 34 to promote the blood drive.  As a result of their event planning and public relations efforts, 70 units of blood are now on their way to patients across the area.  

According to English teacher, Student Council Advisor and longtime volunteer blood drive coordinator, Amy Hottovy, “The kids volunteer to head up a committee for recruitment, canteen, publicity, and muscle crew.  They have a list of duties to take care of and just do a great job of getting everything done.”  Hottovy has been a volunteer blood drive coordinator helping educate students about the importance of blood donation at CHS for twelve years.  

“Out of the 17 students and 22 staff that donated, 12 students and one staff member were first time donors, and the t-shirts were a BIG HIT,” Hottovy added.

The CHS Student Council will sponsor two more blood drives this school year.  The first drive is Thursday, January 6, followed by a second, Thursday, March 3.  Everyone who donated at the November blood drive will be eligible to give again in January, as well as at the spring drive.    To reserve an appointment for the next CHS blood drive, contact Amy Hottovy at 402-534-2321. For more information on blood donation, visit www.ncbb.org and like the NCBB on Facebook!