Students at Copper Hills High School hope to break blood donation record
May 10, 2023, 12:23 PM | Updated: 1:26 pm
WEST JORDAN, Utah — Dozens of students at Copper Hills High School took turns donating blood Wednesday with a big goal in mind.
At the beginning of the school year, ARUP challenged the Jordan School District to donate blood. Copper Hills High hopped on that challenge.
If they meet their goal of donating more than 100 units of blood by Wednesday afternoon, they will set a state record for most blood ever collected by a high school in an academic year for ARUP.
🩸 Right now, dozens of Copper Hills High students are taking turns donating blood.
In this fourth and final blood drive…
They’re hoping to set a record. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/YHyCsB4s4W
— Karah Brackin (@kbontv) May 10, 2023
“We have a really big goal,” said Stockton Richins, a junior representative of HOSA.
“If they get 112 units today, Copper Hills will have collected 500 units this school year, and that is the single largest single sponsor that we hold blood drives with,” said Rob Fox with ARUP’s community relations.
Fox said their job with ARUP is to collect blood for the Huntsman Cancer Institute and university hospital system.
At a blood drive like the one held Wednesday, students sitting in the chairs give one unit of whole blood.
If they hit their goal, some quick math will show you their donation would make a big impact.
“About 1,100 patients they can help over one year,” he said.
The big picture helps others who need blood now and later.
“Our hope is that they start young with blood donation and continue it through their life,” Fox said.
“We’re saving lives, but another thing is, I think, it’s more about being willing to…” – Student donating blood
See you at noon on @KSL5TV👋
— Karah Brackin (@kbontv) May 10, 2023
Richins wants to be part of that.
“I do not plan on stopping. I plan on even donating over the summer.”
Richins, who is looking to go into the healthcare field, said he is proud of his classmates.
“We’re saving lives, but another thing is, I think it’s more about being willing to.”
ARUP said high school students are some of the biggest blood donors in the state. When the pandemic hit, that took a toll on the amount of donated blood.
While they said they are still down 20% recovering from the pandemic, these kinds of drives help them get back on track.
