Every school year, Catholic Central gives their students the opportunity to donate blood at least four different times. This year our third blood drive took place on Friday, January 30th in the downtown gymnasium. Many students take this as an opportunity to earn up to an hour of service, while also helping those in need. According to Theology teacher Jaymie Perry, the organizer of these blood drives, Catholic Central began blood drives as early as the 1990s as a way to continue the school’s mission of helping those in need. This tradition is an extension to the school’s mission and the Dominican pillar of community. 

Adam Nelson, Catholic Central’s strength and conditioning coach, has been donating the double red cell donation for the past two years but has donated for at least five years. He mentions how this process is really simple; it’s all about showing up and leaving it up to the nurses that do this. 

Allison Milanowski (‘26) was a volunteer during this event. Her reasoning is mainly for the service hours, but also to be able to receive the leadership cord during her graduation. She also says she uses this opportunity to have more experience to help her decide what she wants to do after graduation. 

All of Catholic Central’s blood drives have limited appointments, usually allowing between twenty-five to thirty students to sign up. Blood donations get collected by Versiti, who then usually serve Kent County and Grand Rapids hospitals. Students who donate must be at least 16 with parents consent; permission slips can be obtained in room 501. Participants must also meet some health and weight requirements for their safety which are provided on this document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cPwXu1KZqtz3Z-xPY0oMDk8PR6V5FTW9/view?usp=sharing 

If a student isn’t eligible to donate, they still have the opportunity to participate in the drive. These students can sign up to volunteer to help those students who may need some assistance after blood has been drawn. Usually, two students are needed per hour during this event. Those who are donating blood are recommended to prepare the night before their appointment by doing the following: 

• Stay hydrated
• Eat before the appointment, snacks are available afterwards as well 
• Bring your state ID or driver’s license; if you don’t have either school ID also works 
• If you’re 16 you must bring the permission slip with a parents signature parental-consent-packet-v1.pdf

IMPORTANT NOTE 

Those students who donate at least six times are eligible to earn a leadership cord during their graduation ceremony. One whole blood donation and two hours of service will earn you a single credit, while double donation and summer donation get you two credits. To learn more information you can view this article. 2024 -25 Leaders for Life.pdf

Make sure to be aware of Catholic Central’s next blood drive. If you can donate, so you can help your community! The only negative is the O.

If you have any questions please reach out to Jaymie Perry at jaymieperry@grcatholiccentral.org.