BEAVERCREEK — Beavercreek High School Student Council volunteers use a tried-and-true message when recruiting donors for their annual winter blood drive.

“We say ‘save a life’ and everybody signs up,” said BHS Student Council President Kayla Vonder Embse.

It worked last year when Beavercreek High totaled 171 donors, the fifth largest single-day high school blood drive in Community Blood Center’s 15-county region. It worked again on Feb. 28 as they again totaled 171 donors, including 126 first-time donors and 132 donations for 100 percent of the collection goal.

Both donors and sponsors have a hard time saying no the Student Council volunteers. The Donor Café was piled high with pizzas, bagels, sandwiches, salads and donuts from 26 different restaurants. “We started calling as many businesses as we could,” said Kayla. “We over-delivered! It was past all our expectations.”

Student Council Advisor Jana Debord gave credit to the blood drive committee for pulling together one of their biggest projects of the year and making it a fun event for the donors.

“This is new and different, and I like new and different things,” said first-time donor Lydia Bucher. “Think of all the pros to it, all the things someone else can get out of it.”

“I would tell people to follow all the steps and drink a lot of water,” said senior Devin Harris as he made his first lifetime donation. “I’m just chillin’. It’s not bad at all.”

“It’s a good cause, because blood is really needed,” said junior Sara Pomeroy, also a first-time donor. “The more the merrier!”

Senior Brentin Seman made his second lifetime donation and said, “I’ll gladly do it again. If I can help someone else, why not do it?”

After a busy morning coordinating the volunteers, Vonder Embse took the last appointment of the day to make her first lifetime donation.

“I’m donating because my cousin Lucas nearly died from cancer,” said Vonder Embse. “He had chemo and radiation at two and a half years old. He’s eight years old now, and he’s four years in remission. They told us that platelets go to cancer patients and that sparked me to want to donate.”

She made it bravely through her donation, and rejoined her fellows student council members under the big, “Thank You for Donating” sign in the Donor Café. “I saw first-hand what this does to help people who need it. I don’t know what would have happened if that blood had not been available.”

For more information on how to donate to to www.GivingBlood.org.

Submitted photos Beavercreek High School Student Council volunteers hosted a blood drive for the Community Blood Center.
https://www.beavercreeknewscurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2019/03/web1_Beavercreek-High-Student-Council.jpgSubmitted photos Beavercreek High School Student Council volunteers hosted a blood drive for the Community Blood Center.

Student Council President Kayla Vonder Embse donating.
https://www.beavercreeknewscurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2019/03/web1_Kayla-Vonder-Embse-1-LTD.jpgStudent Council President Kayla Vonder Embse donating.

Senior Devin Harris gives blood.
https://www.beavercreeknewscurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2019/03/web1_Devin-Harris-donating.jpgSenior Devin Harris gives blood.