Davenport, Iowa, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ImpactLife is recognizing the contributions of 536 high school students who earned the blood center’s Student Impact Award during the 2024-25 school year. The award is given to students who give blood, recruit donors, and/or organize blood drives while in high school. To receive the Student Impact Award, recipients must earn six credits in any of the following categories before high school graduation:

• donating blood (one credit per donation);
• recruiting a new or lapsed donor (one credit per donor);
• volunteering for blood drive planning (one credit per blood drive);
• or by serving as a Blood Drive Coordinator (six credits per blood drive).

“Across our region, ImpactLife is fortunate to work with students who want to develop their leadership skills while supporting health and wellness in their community,” said Lindsay Erhardt-Hansen, Manager, Donor Relations.  “We appreciate our Student Impact Award recipients for their commitment to supporting the blood supply, and we look forward to seeing the positive difference they’ll make long into the future.” 

Student Impact Award recipients receive an award certificate and a red cord that signifies the connection between the blood donor, ImpactLife, and patients who have been helped by the student’s support of our region’s blood supply. With permission from their school, students may choose to wear the red cord in their high school graduation ceremony. (For more information on the Student Impact Award, see www.bloodcenter.org/award.) 

School-based blood drives are a significant source of support for our region’s blood supply. ImpactLife will hold 515 blood drives with high schools held during the 2024-25 school year, leading to more than 10,000 donations by donors 16 to 19 years of age, many as first-time blood donors. ImpactLife offers its LifeSavings Grant to recognize schools for their substantial contribution to our region's blood supply. Primary and secondary schools that host blood drives qualify for the grant program by sponsoring blood drives that collect at least 20 donations. LifeSavings Grants can be used to fund scholarships, make a charitable donation, provide for classroom or curriculum needs, or help defray expenses related to the blood drive. Following each blood drive, schools can apply to receive a grant of $250, plus one dollar for each donation. While LifeSavings Grant applications are still being submitted for the 2024-25 school year, the blood center has processed 451 successful grant applications year-to-date, with $127,672 in grants awarded. (More information at www.bloodcenter.org/lifesavings.) 

With 2024-25 education sector blood drives coming to an end, ImpactLife has reached a challenging time of year when the donor recruitment team looks to increase appointment schedules at Donor Centers and community blood drives to make up for donations the blood center won’t collect at schools during summer break. To find an ImpactLife Donor Center location or mobile blood drive, call (800) 747-5401, text "lifesaver" to 999-777, or schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org or via the ImpactLife mobile app (www.bloodcenter.org/app).

Donors Enjoy Perks and Benefits: Through ImpactLife's Donor For Life program, donors receive their choice of an electronic gift card, bonus points for the Rewards Store OR a charitable donation to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit of the donor’s choice via the blood center's Good Giving program. To help improve schedules at ImpactLife donor center locations, ImpactLife is offering $20 in bonus value (or 1000 bonus points) for donations made at ImpactLife Donor Centers through June 8. Rewards grow in value with each donation in a calendar year. See the table at www.bloodcenter.org/donorforlife for complete information. 

About ImpactLife

ImpactLife's mission is to save lives by engaging donors, supporting partners, and advancing medicine. Founded in 1974, ImpactLife supplies blood products and services to hundreds of hospitals, emergency services organizations, clinical researchers, and other blood centers throughout Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. The nonprofit blood provider is ranked among the leading 12 blood suppliers in the United States. For more information on current blood inventory levels, our donor promotions, and more, see www.bloodcenter.org and find us @impactlifeblood on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Attachments

• ImpactLife Student Impact Award graphic
• ImpactLife High School blood drive

Kirby Winn
ImpactLife
(563) 349-1571
kwinn@impactlife.org