Blood drives a huge success for Red Cross
As part of their F.O.C.U.S. (Fifth grade Outdoor Education, Community, Unity, Service) service learning unit, fifth-graders at Stewart and Stratford Schools assisted with blood drives in late November that raised 150 pints of much-needed blood for the American Red Cross. Amy Collioud, acting manager for the Nassau County branch of the Red Cross, explained, “It’s essential that we get community drives going. The commitment of Garden City’s PTA was critical to our success – one pint saves three lives and only takes one hour of donors’ time.” Students helped by checking in donors, supplying a snack at the recovery area, and creating thank you cards. “The support of the American Red Cross is amazing here,” said Lorraine Barker, a volunteer with the program.
Alicia Marciano, one of the PTA volunteers at Stewart, commented, “This is my 5th year coordinating the blood drive. It is something I am very passionate about. The final count for our drive was 97 pints of blood. Our drive was quite successful, as the Red Cross had given us a goal of 80 pints.”
Stratford’s drive was equally successful, collecting 53 pints of blood with the support of PTA parents and fifth-grade volunteers. Together the schools raised enough blood to save 450 lives.
Submitted by Garden City Public Schools
