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Orting High School held a very successful blood drive on January 31. The blood drive coordinator was Becky Gundstrom, a career counselor at the school. The sponsor group was Safety/Stop Auto Fatalities through Youth Efforts. Cascade Regional Blood Services would like to thank them for their hard work and dedication. Their efforts resulted in 60 donors!
The blood drive was held in the library and a sign-up table was placed in the school lunch room for two weeks prior to the blood drive. The principal of the school, Dorris Bolender, is also a blood donor and a big supporter of our cause. The students and staff of Orting High School have always done a great job of helping CRBS in our efforts to maintain an adequate blood supply for Good Samaritan and our other area hospitals.
Student volunteers were available throughout the blood drive to serve cookies and juice to fellow students. OHS conducts two blood drives a year, one in September and the other in January. Not only do students help put together successful blood drives at Orting High School, but they also have the opportunity to volunteer at monthly community blood drives across the street at Safeway.
There are many people to thank for helping to make this recent drive at Orting High School such a pleasant, fun and successful experience. First, thank you to Becky Gundstrom who has been working with CRBS as drive coordinator for several years. Her efforts and the donations from drives at Orting HS have provided hundreds of units of blood to patients in area hospitals.
This year, there was full support from the Safety Club, Principal Doris Bolender, Assistant Principal Jon Bell, and the entire staff at Orting High School. There were 50 donors who registered for this drive and 26 donors who donated for the first time.
The Safety Club not only sponsors the blood drives, which provide much needed support for CRBS and the community. They also are involved in food drives, Toys for Tots, as well as “Anti-Drug” and “Suicide Prevention” activities. In addition, they organize an annual pickle ball tournament at the school. We were told this is a very special event and that everyone looks forward to the competition, the prizes and the fun each year.
It’s good to see the support provided for our community by this group of students. They provide a great example for others. Thanks again to our “HEROES” at Orting High School. We are looking forward to the next drive with Becky and her group on January 31.
Safety Club Members - Jayson Gregory,
Becky (advisor), Lacey Reed, Sydney Spisak, Grant Angle
Safety Club Members Grant Angle and
Jon Niemier with Megan Johnson, CRBS Blood Drive Consultant.
Principal Doris Bolender
A library full of cheerleaders and whole lot of blood… No it’s not another scary movie, it is Orting high school’s most recent blood drive.
“It looked like the whole cheerleading squad showed up at the same time to donate blood this year,” noted Cascade Regional Blood Services employee Aaron Williams. The cheerleaders were just a few of the 71 donors that showed up to donate at the first blood drive of the school year for Orting.
This blood drive was organized very quickly and efficiently by the Safety club. Becky Gundstrom and the Safety club stepped up in a big way. They hit their goal for donors and helped make a huge contribution to the community blood supply.
What great commitment this group shows every time we are invited to do a blood drive there. When we asked Sydney Spisak why she has volunteered at every blood drive since she started at Orting, she said, “to help other people out because I can’t donate.” She added, “at the doctor’s office they have to hog tie me to the bed to get my blood”. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves Sydney, there are plenty of ways for those who can’t donate to help ensure a safe and sufficient blood supply! Jessica Hoyes of the safety club donates and also volunteered to help with the drive. When asked why she does both Jessica said she “likes to help her friends that are a little scared.” Jessica is another reminder of all the ways people can do their part to help.
Thank you just doesn’t seem to say enough to the Orting high school Safety club for another outstanding exhibition of leadership and community service.”
Copyright 2005 Cascade Regional Blood Services
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