TEXARKANA, Texas -- Several area high schools have been recognized for their commitment to saving lives.
Throughout the month of May, LifeShare Blood Center presented graduates at De Queen, Horatio, Texas, Bradley, Fouke, Lafayette, Nashville and Dierks high schools with over $7,800 in educational scholarships.
The awards come after the schools collected over 780 units of blood during the 2021-22 school year.
Each year, LifeShare awards more than $40,000 in scholarships to schools in Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas that encourages students and educators to roll up their sleeves to help patients in local hospitals.
"We are so thankful for the relationships we've built with parents, teachers, students, and administrators at our local high schools," LifeShare Regional Director Elizabeth Cunningham said in a news release. "The donations these students made helped ensure our hospitals had enough blood to supply our community with life-saving procedures."
Young donors are also being asked to give. Teenagers can begin donating blood once they turn 16 and can donate as often as every 56 days.
The number of young donors has dramatically decreased since the outbreak of COVID- 19.
(More information about donor eligibility and upcoming blood drives can be found at www.lifeshare.org)