Jacob Presiter of Lindsay, Nebraska, is the latest winner of the Leaders Save Lives Scholarship from the American Red Cross. Presiter is a current junior at Lindsay Holy Family High School and was awarded the scholarship for his work hosting a blood drive and assisting biomedical collection specialists.
Presiter first became aware of the constant need for blood by watching his older brother and sister, who both hosted blood drives.
"Working blood drives has made me see the great need for blood and how necessary it is to modern medicine," said Presiter. "That is why I volunteer to help and plan to give blood in the future."
The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis, with the blood supply being the lowest the organization has seen in over a decade. While there are several contributing factors to the crisis, many attributed to COVID-19, the Red Cross is experiencing a 62 percent drop in college and high school blood drives since the start of the pandemic. With fewer opportunities for students to give blood, Presiter is encouraging his peers to support blood collection however they can.
Visit redcrossblood.org to learn more about blood donation and schedule your appointment to give.
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