Three Morrison High School students will receive Gallon Grad awards from Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC.) The Blood Center established the Gallon Grad award to honor students who donate blood at least eight times before graduating from high school. The fluid volume from eight whole blood donations is approximately one gallon.
Gallon Grad award recipients are Allysa Criss, Krysta Mapes, and Ryan Tillman.
They will receive an award certificate and a Red Cord that signifies the connection between the blood donor, the Blood Center, and patients who have been helped by each student’s donations. With permission from their school, students may choose to wear the Red Cord in their high school graduation ceremony, on Sunday, May 29, 2016.
Students are eligible to begin donating blood at age 16 (with a signed parental permission form, provided by the Blood Center.) Most began donating blood at a blood drive hosted by their high school. “These students have done something really special,” said Sharee Hoegerl, Donor Relations Consultant for MVRBC. “As dedicated blood donors, they provide a resource that helps save lives at hospitals throughout our region.”
MVRBC is the provider of blood and blood components to Genesis Health System, Morrison County Hospital, and UnityPoint Health – Quad Cities. Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about one hour. Donors must be at least 16 years old, in good health, and weight at least 110 lbs. An MVRBC Donor ID card or photo identification is required to donate; 16-year-olds must present a signed parental permission form, available from the Blood Center or online at www.bloodcenter.org.