Blood drive exceeds service’s expectations

The school and community collected 58 pints and had to turn people away because New Jersey Blood Services ran out of collection bags.

By: Donna Lukiw
   Hillsborough Elementary School had one goal for Friday’s blood drive — they wanted to collect more than 44 pints of blood from the district’s residents.
   But when the donors — many of them parents of the school’s students — started pouring in to donate blood, New Jersey Blood Services ran out of blood collection bags.
   "I’m elated about exceeding our goal," Hillsborough Elementary School Principal Mike Volpe said. "I think it is important to set goals and achieve them. I ask this of our students and I think it’s important for them to see that goal setting is something that adults do as well."
   In 2004, Hillsborough Elementary School collected 20 pints for New Jersey Blood services and last year, they collected 24 pints.
   On Friday, the school and the community collected 58 pints and had to turn people away because New Jersey Blood Services ran out of collection bags.
   "The children were positive, but really seemed to take it in stride, as a matter of fact," Mr. Volpe said. "I really think that they believe when we say we are going to do something, that we will achieve it. There were really no reactions of surprise or disbelief."
   To get the community involved especially the students’ parents, New Jersey Blood Services gave out movie passes while the school gave out homework passes to the students.
   Mr. Volpe said 65 homework passes and 40 movie passes were given out but since New Jersey Blood Services ran out of movie passes also they promised to mail out passes to those who didn’t get one.
   "The turnout was exactly what I expected," Mr. Volpe said. "But I was most happy that we exceeded the expectations of New Jersey Blood Services. They not only ran out of bags but admitted that they did not bring enough staff with them."
   Mr. Volpe said Hillsborough Elementary School is planning another blood drive on April 13.