Red Cross invites young students to play part in donating blood
Millersburg Elementary was the home of a blood drive on Thursday, Feb. 6. While students are too young to donate blood, they were asked to invite parents, grandparents and other adults and were rewarded for their efforts if someone came in thanks to their invitation.
It’s a simple fact: Elementary-age children are too young to give blood.
That doesn’t mean they can’t become a factor in others giving.
Millersburg Elementary held a blood drive hosted by the American Red Cross Northeast Ohio Chapter on Thursday, Feb. 6, and while the students didn’t give any blood, many of the people who did come in were encouraged to do so by the students.
The Red Cross program is called Pint-Size Heroes, and it encouraged Millersburg students to invite parents, grandparents and caregivers to the school to give blood.
For the adults who came in, the experience was nothing but positive.
“I like to give whenever and as often as I can,” said Beverly Weaver, who gave blood on behalf of her granddaughter Breella Krantz, a fourth-grader at Millersburg. “She came home and said she hoped I could give blood for the school blood drive. I was more than glad to. This is an awesome way to give back to others, and it is really not hard to do.”
American Red Cross Northeast Ohio Chapter donor account manager Stacey Carter came to the school and spoke to each of the grade levels, discussing the way blood is given, the different types of blood, what the different blood cells are and the need to participate in this life-giving effort.
Should a student be successful in encouraging an adult to come in and give blood, they are then given a medal to celebrate the accomplishment.
“The kids love the challenge, and if they bring someone in, they get to wear their medal all day,” Carter said. “It’s a nice way for them to celebrate their achievement, and these kinds of blood drives in elementary schools are also important because children learn about why giving blood is so critical.”
Carter, who came in three days prior to the blood drive, said each pint of blood can save up to three lives, a fact kids find amazing, which might entice them to share with their parents.
During Carter’s talks with each class, she brings in superhero costumes and has kids wear them, giving them speaking parts as she shares vital information with the students.
“It makes it more fun and interesting for the kids,” Carter said. “I always tell the kids that we can’t go to Wal-Mart and buy it, and we can’t make blood in a factory. It can only come through the donation process, and they can help save lives.”
Informing children at a young age of the importance of giving blood is important, and the Red Cross continues to put that message out in front of children as they enter middle school, where they get more in-depth with the students. Once a student gets to be 16 years old and is in high school, they can then give blood. Carter said the hope is that the desire to give has been instilled in the children at an early age.
“Introducing them to the idea when they are little is very valuable,” Carter said. “Plus the Pint-Size Heroes program will hopefully get them excited enough about it that they take it into their homes and encourage their parents to give.”
Carter, now in her fourth year with Red Cross, has a vested interest in blood drives, and the reason she became involved with the Red Cross was because her son Brady has had several blood transfusions in dealing with open heart surgery.
“We kind of use Brady with the kids as an avenue to sharing about blood drives and their importance,” Millersburg Elementary principal Renee Woods said. “Kids can definitely relate to that well.”
“We have seen the impact that giving blood can make firsthand, so this was something that I became very passionate about,” Carter said.
Carter is centered in Holmes County but does work her way into both Tuscarawas and Wayne counties as she speaks to organizations and businesses to set up drives. In addition they visit a lot of schools and churches. She said anyone can host a blood drive.
“We actually have a lot of Amish churches and businesses that get involved,” Carter said.
The blood raised at each drive then goes to hospitals in Northeast Ohio, which put it to good use in savings lives.
Normally Carter has around 20 drives per month, although she set up six drives in the first six days of February and collected 407 pints, a number that was very pleasing to her.
Carter said while some people are frightened by needles, the process has become such that giving blood is not a painful undertaking.
“It is not anything to be scared of, and the result of giving far outweighs the tiny bee-sting prick that a person gets in the beginning,” Carter said.
Carter said currently the need to donate blood is at the critical-need level, meaning area hospitals are in dire need of donations. She said donations tend to dip in the winter with factors like illness and weather dissuading people to venture out to give.
If someone would like to give blood and never has or would like to donate again, they may do so by logging on to the Red Cross website at www.RedCrossBlood.org. Enter a zip code on the site and they can find all of the blood drives in the area in the coming days. She said there also is a blood-donor app that allows people the ease of scheduling appointments from their phone.
There also is a rapid pass, which allows donors to fill out all of the paperwork that is needed in order to donate blood before they arrive at the site, meaning they can get in and out rather quickly.