Every year Fair Grove High School hosts a blood drive that takes place in the FEMA builidng. Sandra Robinson and Cayse Overstreet are the sponsors for FBLA and supervise the blood drive. This year many Fair Grove students felt the need to donate and help out others. Mrs. Robinson stated, “71 donors were registered, 57 units were collected and 31 first time donors gave blood for the first time.”

Community Blood Center of the Ozarks comes to Fair Grove every year to collect the donated blood. On the website of Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, Fair Grove is just one of the 150 high schools they attend to collect donated blood. There aren’t any qualifications needed for participating in the blood drive other than the parent consent form.  “Students need to be sure to be hydrated days leading up to the drive, have a hearty breakfast the day of, bring a photo ID, and bring a friend or two,” said Mrs. Overstreet, one of the blood drive supervisors.

She added, “I would challenge students to think about how 1 hour or less, no matter how scary it may seem, can change the rest of someone’s entire life.” Fair Grove encourages the students to donate blood. Just a pint of blood can save a life. The blood drive is also a competition between Strafford to see how many students will participate. It encourages the students to attend the blood drive and donate blood. Mrs. Overstreet stated, “People who were nervous or scared to do it for the first time saying that it wasn’t as bad as they made it out to be. Most of them return and do it the next drive!”

The Fair Grove FBLA will host another blood drive in the spring to support the CBCO. Students that are 16 will need a permission form that their parents must sign for them to participate in the blood drive. Students 17 and over do not need a parents consent.