Honor society takes over blood drive

WEBUTUCK — When the Red Cross needed them most, students from Webutuck’s National Honor Society stepped up to the plate, hosting a blood drive at the school last Friday.

The event was co-chaired by students Jimmy Boeding, Alyssa Westfall, Brielle Williams and Alicia Flinn. But during the drive, held between noon and 7 p.m. on April 23, there were more than 20 additional student volunteers, some on the school’s honor society and some not, as well as staff members who assisted in shifts to keep momentum for the drive going.

Around 3 p.m. there had already been about 40 people signed up to donate, and students Katie Ruppel and Carissa Dahoney were busy in downtown Amenia and Millerton, trying to drum up last-minute support for the cause.

Although it wasn’t as much as they expected, there’s still a lot to setting up a blood drive, Boeding and Westfall said. The Red Cross gave the students a list of past donors, who were called to see if they would be able to participate again. Signs were hung up around the community, and contact with local media outlets, including The Millerton News, was made to make sure the word got out.

“We’re fortunate to have a community that’s always been good about knowing when the blood drive is and coming,� Boeding said. The Red Cross has repeatedly singled out Webutuck for consistently bringing in a large amount of donors considering the size of the district.

One hundred usable pints is usually the goal for Webutuck blood drives, the students said. There were a few setbacks after it was discovered that any students who visited Costa Rica over spring break (including Boeding) wouldn’t be able to donate, but with more than three hours to go the students were confident that walk-in appointments would fill up the rest of their schedule.

“I’m very proud of them,� said Webutuck teacher Sherry Fisher, who is the National Honors Society staff advisor. “They’re all taking multiple AP [Advanced Placement] courses, and they still find time to support local and national charities.�