Lakeland High celebrates successful blood drive

RATHDRUM — Lakeland High School is celebrating a successful Friday blood drive that collected 85 units, which will impact up to 255 people in local hospitals.

The school will also receive a $5,000 check from Vitalant to purchase equipment, books, or laboratory projects that promote and support Lakeland High School science, technology, engineering, or mathematics programs. 

Hosted by the Lakeland Honor Society, the annual blood drive is a longstanding tradition for the high school.

"Lakeland High School ran blood drives before I arrived back in 1997," said honor society adviser Frank Vieira, who has been the blood drive coordinator for 28 years.

He said he assumes it has been going on since the '80s.

"We usually collect between 70-100 units, which translates to saving the lives of between 400-600 people in our surrounding communities every year," he said. "I have around 25 students that help with the blood drive and another 87 students and a few staff members that donate life-saving blood. We are honored to give back to our community a precious life-saving pint of blood for those in need. What better way to help your community than to donate blood to someone that needs it for an emergency, planned surgery or cancer treatment."

According to vitalant.org, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. Vitalant is the largest independent, nonprofit blood services provider in the country. Founded in 1943, it focuses on providing lifesaving blood and comprehensive transfusion medicine services to patients across the U.S. 

Its clients include: Hospitals and health care professionals; university, industry and contract researchers; reference laboratories; transplant programs; organ procurement organizations; stem cell registries; cellular therapy companies; private cord bank collectors; and hemophilia treatment centers.

 Senior Ayden Cragun is happy to be helpful during Lakeland High School's annual blood drive on Friday.