BELLEVILLE/O’FALLON – Several students from western Illinois high schools have received the annual ImpactLife Student Impact Award in O’Fallon and Belleville, recognizing their support of the region’s blood supply as donors, advocates, volunteers and blood drive coordinators at the end of the school year, when blood supplies typically decline.
The Student Impact Award Program honors students who have supported the blood supply in a variety of ways. Recipients completed at least one qualifying activity while in high school: donating blood at least six times, recruiting at least six new blood donors, volunteering at a blood drive at least six times, or hosting a local blood drive.
“Our region is filled with inspiring students eager to step up as leaders and volunteer their time to strengthen our community,” said Stephen Gates, director of blood drive partnerships. “These Student Impact Award recipients represent the very best of that commitment, and we are excited to watch them continue making a lifesaving impact for years to come.”
Recipients receive an award certificate and a red cord representing the connection between blood donors, ImpactLife and patients helped by the students’ support of the region’s blood supply. With permission from their school, students may choose to wear the red cord during their high school graduation ceremony.
Local recipients are:
— Belleville West High School: Seth Torpey, Asiah Collin, Skylar Commean, Savannah Hay and Kayla Williams.
— Edwardsville High School: Ian Trauernicht.
— Freeburg Community High School: Julian Kadel.
— O’Fallon Township High School: Leah Smith, Madeline Horejsi, Natalie Iglesias and Haylee Noe.
— Wesclin Senior High School: Evan Willhite.
ImpactLife said it honors Student Impact Award winners at the end of the school year, a period when the blood supply drops partly because of the loss of school-based blood drives. The organization said it has an immediate need for whole blood and platelet donors of all blood types.
Under ImpactLife’s Donor For Life program, blood donors receive a voucher that can be redeemed for an electronic gift card, bonus points for the ImpactLife Donor Rewards Store, or an equivalent-value donation to support a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Reward values are based on donor frequency.
Founded in 1974, ImpactLife is a nonprofit blood provider whose mission is to save lives by engaging donors, supporting partners and advancing medicine. The organization supplies blood products and services to hospitals, emergency services organizations, clinical researchers and other blood centers throughout Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri. ImpactLife is ranked among the leading 12 blood suppliers in the United States.
