Crucial Contributions

The annual Alliance High School fall blood drive was a resounding success, collecting 50 total units of blood to donate.

Each unit of blood donated has the potential to save three lives, meaning the blood collected in this drive could help 150 people.

Kimberly Woodruff, who organizes the blood drive with Chris Schillig, said this year marks the second year the blood drive has partnered with Vitalant, a nonprofit organization that collects and provides blood across the United States. With Vitalant, donors can choose to receive emails or messages when their blood is used to help someone, showing the exact difference they make.

This year, donors also received a winter-themed T-shirt with a Vitalant logo, as proof of their donation.

The fall blood drive is only the first of the school year. A second blood drive will be held in the spring, where Woodruff hopes to collect about 55 units of blood, bringing the total for the year over 100 and saving more than 300 lives.