The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas awarded $5,000 in scholarship money to East Rutherford High School this year through its High School Partnership Program.

“To earn the scholarship, the school of about 700 students gave more blood during the 2016-17 school year than any other high school that CBCC works with – including many that boast much higher enrollment numbers,” said CBCC Donor Recruiter Miranda Cole.

East Rutherford High staff and students donated 334 units of blood at their four blood drives. The blood donations will help more than 1,000 patients in the region’s hospitals, and the scholarship money will help several dedicated students.

“We are fortunate at East Rutherford High School to have such a wonderful partnership with the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas,” East Rutherford High Principal Brad Teague said. “Through this partnership, we are able to instill in our students a sense of pride in the important responsibility of giving blood. Through the generous gift of $5,000 from the Community Blood Center, we were able to award six scholarships to very deserving students who will further their education.”

CBCC awards scholarships ranging from $250 to $5,000 to high schools that hold blood drives. The scholarship amount is determined by the number of donations collected, with the highest-collecting school earning $5,000.

The following are the East Rutherford Scholarship Winners: David Mancipe - $500; Jonathan Clayton - $500; Kaitlyn Lawson - $500; Daniel Byrd - $500; McKenna Teague - $1,000; and Emily Elgin - $1,000.

“It’s vital to teach teens the importance of blood donation so they turn into adults who give regularly and that is something the students at East Rutherford have been quick to embrace,” said Cole who has worked with East Rutherford High for five years, helping schedule their blood drives, sign students up to donate and ensure the events run smoothly. “The students and staff 100 percent have the same mindset that we have at CBCC. They understand the need for blood.”

Teague takes pride in the fact that his school believes so strongly in blood donation. “We’re so bombarded with test scores and accountability,” he said. “You have to remember that you’re raising future adults. To instill in these students at this age the importance of doing something like this, the importance of helping those less fortunate than you, that’s what it’s all about. It means a lot to me as a principal for them to understand the importance of doing this.”

For the last five years, East Rutherford High has improved in every measurable category, from test results to graduation rates, all while holding four successful blood drives with CBCC each year. Added Teague, “That across-the-board success relies on parents, teachers and students who fully believe in the cause and want to donate blood to help patients in their own community.”

“To know that we’re helping folks right next door, that we can have such a profound effect, a positive impact, on something that’s so desperately needed in our very own community, makes it even more worthwhile,” Teague said. “Our students embrace this opportunity and rally around the cause. We look forward to many more years partnering with this great organization.”

CBCC works with more than 100 high schools throughout the region to host blood drives each year. High school students account for more than 25 percent of CBCC’s blood collections. CBCC has awarded nearly $250,000 in scholarship money to local students working to further their education.

About Community Blood Center of the Carolinas

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas is the local nonprofit, community-based blood center and the primary blood supplier to the region’s hospitals. CBCC collects blood and blood products from volunteer donors in the community to return to the community at the lowest possible cost consistent with the highest possible standards. CBCC is a member of America’s Blood Centers, North America’s largest network of community-based, independent blood centers that provide more than 50 percent of the nation’s blood supply.

Follow the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BloodCenter, on Instagram https://instagram.com/cbccarolinas/ and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CBCCarolinas.