Big Red Battle: DCHS, OHS compete through blood donations
Sep. 1—Daviess County and Owensboro high schools are getting ready for Friday's rivalry football game by seeing which school produces the most blood donations.
This is the 2nd annual Big Red Battle between the schools. DCHS won last year.
This year's blood drive, in assistance with the Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center, began Monday at OHS, with DCHS hosting Wednesday and OHS hosting again Friday.
"We did really well on Monday," said Marcie Baldwin, science teacher and National Honor Society sponsor at OHS. "My students were really excited to help."
Baldwin said DCHS saw a "great need" for blood donations last year, prompting the idea for a blood drive.
"We're trying to encourage it early in students and to make it a habit to be a lifetime donor," she said.
WKRBC has also implemented a new program called "High School Hero." Students that donate four times before graduation will receive an honor cord to wear with their cap and gown.
"We're trying to encourage young people to be involved in the community and to have a giving heart," Baldwin said.
The 2021 drive brought in 169 units of blood. This year, 110 units have been donated so far.
Janie Fenwick, a phlebotomist with WKRBC, was at DCHS on Wednesday to draw blood from donors and by 3 p.m., she said 30 to 35 people had donated during the three hours she had been open.
"It's been really good, and it's going to continue to go really well," she said. "I can tell people are really excited. Everyone loves it."
Fenwick said most of the donors have been students, like Katherine Barbour, a junior at DCHS. This was Barbour's first time donating blood, and Fenwick was her phlebotomist.
"I've always wanted to donate blood, plus I want to support our school. I just think it will be a great help to people," Barbour said. "I would definitely do
it again."
As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, DCHS was leading OHS in donations. Donations can also be made at the WKRBC location at 3015 Old Hartford Road during the center's business hours.
The WKRBC Bloodmobile will be stationed at the parking lot behind OHS from 3-7 p.m. Friday. Anyone can donate to either school during Friday's drive.
For more information about blood donation, contact WKRBC at 270-684-9296.
