NEW CASTLE, DE – William Penn High School once again demonstrated its leadership in community service by hosting the largest high school blood drive in the Delmarva Peninsula on Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14.
Organized by the phlebotomy students in the school’s Allied Health Program, the two-day resulted in 177 donor appointments – 81 on Thursday and 96 on Friday – culminating in an impressive 142 units of blood collected. This achievement solidifies William Penn’s position as the top high school blood drive contributor in the region.
Second to William Penn is Polytech High School with 97 units collected this school year. Only two colleges, the University of Delaware with 229 units and Salisbury University with 173 units, surpassed William Penn High School’s totals.
Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) Supervisor of Collections Daisy Tannen and Blood Collection Tech Hannah Lashbrook, both William Penn grads, worked the drive at their alma mater.
For many students, the blood drive was a milestone moment. Junior Abigail Augustine, a first-time donor and a student in the medical program at William Penn High School, saw the event as an opportunity to push past personal trepidation. “I’m in the medical program here, and I’m learning phlebotomy; I wanted to get over my fear,” she said.
High school blood drives are essential to maintaining the community’s blood supply and encouraging students to become lifelong donors. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, high school blood donations in the tri-state area have dropped by nearly 25%, amounting to a total of 10,000 fewer annual donations from this age group. Hospitals and patients rely upon a steady flow of volunteer donors to receive lifesaving blood donations, but the past several years have brought chronic blood shortages nationwide.
WCAU, WPVI, and Delaware Public Media were among outlets providing further coverage of the blood drive.
