On the rainy morning of July 7, several Red Cross booths and blood donation stations filled the Schuyler Central High School auditorium. Normally, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) members would be there to assist with the snack table and check people in but this year, that wasn't the case.
In an ironic twist, the Schuyler FCCLA chapter was on its way home from Denver during the blood drive. The date of the blood drive and of the FCCLA National Conference happened to intersect a little too closely and members of the organization were unable to attend. In addition, English Teacher Elizabeth Lickei said, the students who usually stop during school to donate aren't around during the summer either.
"You know, there's always a shortage and it seems like ever since the pandemic not as many people are donating. It's just harder to get people to come in for whatever reason and summer schedules can get a little trickier," Lickei said.
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The school is awarded scholarship funds for pints of blood donated which directly helps many groups and students at the school, Lickei said. That's why she likes to help.
"There's a scale and you combine the entire year so it starts now and December and April and however many units we have donated, there's a corresponding $250, $500, $750, $1,000 scholarship," Lickei said.
Erin Trotter, greenhouse, ground management and fieldhouse director, decided to donate blood at the event. She has donated before, she said, and with the drive being close by and easy, she thought she should stop by and help somebody who needs blood and FCCLA.
"I know they do a lot of events, being able to support them as they go on their trips and do the competitions and stuff, we want as many opportunities for those kids as we can get," Trotter said.
Alex Aldana, a member of FCCLA, said the blood drive lines up with FCCLA's mission because it is a community event. As future community leaders, it only makes sense for them to get involved. They also help food pantries occasionally, Aldana said.
"One of the biggest parts of FCCLA is helping the community in any way possible, that's why we like to help," Aldana said. "It's a community service thing, we love doing stuff in the community."
