The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) has awarded a $1,000 grant to the R-S Central High School JROTC as part of a region-wide ROTC/JROTC grant competition.

From June to September, CBCC held a ROTC/JROTC grant competition for all high school and college programs that hosted blood drives. R-S Central High School in Rutherfordton held the highest-producing blood drive on Aug. 28, saving over 100 local lives.

“Our community’s blood supply is dependent on high school and college age donors, who account for over 25 percent of our donor base,” said Col. John McCain, COO at CBCC and a USAF Ret. “I recognize the willingness of cadets to lead and serve in their community. Knowing the importance of blood donation to local hospitals and patients, I wanted to start these service opportunities specifically for ROTC/JROTC students.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, each squad had to collect a minimum of 30 pints, with CBCC providing marketing materials, blood drive bus or indoor set-up, and staff.

Adds McCain, “We are very proud of all the young cadets who participated in this service project and grateful to R-S Central High School for making life-saving such a priority. We were proud of the participation in this inaugural year, and we hope more schools will jump on board this service learning opportunity in summers to come.”

For more information on the ROTC grant program or other ways your school can earn grant or scholarship money from CBCC, contact Kim Jones at 704-972-4727 or at KLJones@cbcc.us.

About Community Blood Center of the Carolinas

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is a non-profit community-based blood center and the primary blood supplier to 27 regional hospitals, serving 19 North Carolina and three South Carolina counties. CBCC focuses exclusively on gathering red blood cells, platelets and plasma from volunteer donors to save local lives – every drop of blood collected remains here to help people in the Carolinas. CBCC is a member of America’s Blood Centers, North America’s largest network of community-based, independent blood centers providing more than 50% of the nation’s blood supply.

For more information on hosting a blood drive or donating blood in your area, visit www.cbcc.us or call 704-972-4700.

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