By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
Yukon High School student leaders are state 6A champions again – for their ability to recruit blood donors.
YHS collected 286 usable units of blood and saved an estimated 858 lives during the school’s 2021-22 blood drives.
“We were awarded for being the highest-yielding 6A school in the states of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas,” YHS Leadership/Student Council Advisor Darryl Andrews said. “It’s almost become a tradition for Yukon – like when we had the holiday canned food drive.”
YHS Leadership students and Student Council members “came back on fire” after accepting the award during an Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) workshop Aug. 30 in Oklahoma City, Andrews added.
Andrews’ Leadership Class and Student Council annually plan and present the blood drives with help from OBI’s Ron Black.
A former radio/television host and political analyst, Black’s life was saved several years ago after YHS student Mason O’Hara donated blood on his 16th birthday.
OBI’s region covers all of Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas and Texas.
“Each blood donation received has the potential to save three lives,” Andrews noted. “Oklahoma is known for lending its support in times of need.”
This marks the third time since the 2018-19 school year that YHS has been honored as 6A state high school blood drive champs.
There was no competition in 2020-21 because COVID-19 canceled school blood drives.
Donors are being recruited for the YHS Leadership Blood drive set 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 9 in the YHS Main Gym.
Theme is “Millers Bleed Red.”
People as young as 16 years may donate blood. Adults will be moved to the front of the line.
All blood donors will have their choice of a new OU or OSU T-shirt as a gift.
BUILDING THE BASE BACK
YHS student leaders are working to recreate a “donor base” like the school had before blood drives were suspended during the pandemic.
In previous years, YHS Leadership and Student Council would host three blood drives annually.
Andrews, who has coordinated these drives since the early 1990s, said Yukon would average 180 to 200 usable units.
The plan is to return to three blood drives during the 2022-23 school year, with others in December and March.
Some 30% of OBI’s blood supply comes from educational institutions including high schools and colleges.
To make an appointment to give blood this Friday at YHS, call (405) 265-4416, ext. 2616 or email darryl.andrews@yukonps.com.
To save time, an express donor process is offered online at http://www.obi.org
