Drive 2 Save Lives

There’s more to a blood drive than just blood. On Ozarks local Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO)’s website, people contemplating donating can view topics relating to where their blood goes, to prizes for donating.

 2020 is different than past years when donating blood is involved, especially with high school donors.

On the 30th of November, CBCO kicked off their first ever Drive 2 Save Lives Blood Drive. Any donor who donates during the days of December 1st through January 31st at a school or mobile blood drive or any CBCO donor center, have the chance to win a new car from Springfield’s Youngblood Kia Nissan. On the 6th of February the winners name will be announced and they will drive off in a new car. 

Fair Grove High School is participating in the Drive 2 Save Lives drive and any student who donates blood will be entered into the raffle to win a new car from Springfield’s Youngblood Kia Nissan, as previously mentioned. Students who donate in the school drive’s also receive a complimentary long sleeved shirt. Makenna Drefke is a junior at Fair Grove, and this is her second time giving blood. Drefke emphasized, “It feels nice to [donate blood]. You know you’re actually, like, making a difference and helping another person, like, you could be saving a life.” 

Drefke mentioned being a part of 80% of the world’s population that is iron deficient and touched on the importance of donating blood. 

CBCO encourages anybody who is qualified to donate blood, if students donated in Fair Grove’s winter blood drive they must wait up to 56 days before they can donate again. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for donations after losing 3,000 donations due to the virus. Appointments are encouraged but not required. For more information on CBCO’s guidelines for donating blood at their centers, visit their website https://www.cbco.org/coronavirus/.