75 donate blood at River Ridge

Other businesses, schools in area will follow lead, have drives this week

By Diane Huber | The Olympian • Published October 13, 2008

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LACEY – The River Ridge High School library got a bit bloody last week.

Seventy-five students and staff and community members donated blood during the annual schoolwide blood drive coordinated by the school's National Honor Society and the Puget Sound Blood Center.

Honor Society president and senior Bethany Jensen, 17, said club members visited classes prior to the drive, encouraging peers to participate.

"Our main message was, each time you donate, you save three lives," she said.

Students also were enticed by cookies and juice and a break from class. But most were motivated by an opportunity to give back.

"I was nervous, but at the same time, I wanted to help somebody out," said junior Wendy Guzman, 16, who was among 39 first-time donors.

Senior Corey Vanderhoof said he needed blood after an injury from a car crash in 2001, and he wanted to return the favor.

"Somebody donated blood for me," he said.

Tori Fairhurst, who coordinates drives in Thurston, Lewis, Mason and Grays Harbor counties, said about 20 percent of donations are from students, and the blood bank typically has a shortage each summer when students are out of school.

"High schools are our No. 1 donor group," she said.

On Tuesday, the River Ridge library was converted to a lab with nine folding cots, medical equipment, test tubes and needles set up between bookshelves.

Each donor gave about two cups of blood, and technicians instructed them to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for 12 hours.

The blood center supplies hospitals in 14 cities in Western Washington. Fairhurst coordinates 400 blood drives a year at schools, colleges and companies in a four-county area. Upcoming drives will be at Great Wolf Lodge today, Saint Martin's University and VeriSign on Tuesday, and The Evergreen State College on Wednesday.

Fairhurst said River Ridge's donation will help up to 225 people in the community, some of whom have traumatic injuries.

Diane Huber covers education and features for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-357-0204 or dhuber@theolympian.com.